Battery swapping for XEV YOYO

From 2022 drivers of the new XEV YOYO city car will be able to access a battery swapping service at selected Eni service stations.

The extent of the service has not been specified but is likely to include service stations in XEV’s and Eni’s home country, Italy, and Germany with the announcement coinciding with the Munich International Motor Show where the service will be demonstrated.

XEV, a start-up developer of 3-D printed electric vehicles (EVs) based in Turin with its R&D technical centre in Shanghai, launched the YOYO in May as an electric city car.

Just 2.5m in length, it has a maximum speed around 80km/h and a range of up to 150km with a 7.5kW rated motor powered by a lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack with 10.36kWh capacity.

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Due to the lack of EV charging infrastructure in the majority of urban areas for which the vehicle is intended, it has been designed for battery swapping with the battery pack comprised of three boxes easily removable from the rear of the vehicle.

These also are intended to be upgraded with new battery cell technologies without the need for re-design.

“At XEV we are committed to developing sustainable urban mobility and offering our customers innovative services and excellent experiences,” says CEO Lou Tik.

“We are delighted that Eni, a leading European company, shares our vision of creating a more sustainable future. Our partnership is a milestone in achieving this goal. We believe this innovative business model will help our consumers to overcome the difficulties and limitations of charging their electric cars.”

With its size and weight the XEV YOYO is available to drivers from the age of 16 with a B1 licence.

From 2022 in addition to the battery Xchange service, which takes around 5 minutes, the XEV YOYO will become part of Eni’s Enjoy fleet car-sharing service.