Ample, a battery-swapping technology company, is teaming up with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus (MFTBC) and Mitsubishi Motors, to deploy a network of swapping stations in Tokyo that will each be able to support over 100 vehicles.

The initiative, which will focus on supporting commercial fleets, initially targeting delivery vehicles, is backed by a grant from the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Public Corporation and follows Ample’s battery swapping demonstration in Kyoto.

Ample manufactures and operates a modular battery-swapping ecosystem that can charge an EV in as little as five minutes. The batteries are designed to be a drop-in replacement for the original EV battery. The stations can be installed in a few days, an advantage for high-utilization vehicles operating in dense urban environments like Tokyo.

The Kyoto deployment in partnership with MFTBC and ENEOS Holdings demonstrated the benefits of modular battery swapping for fleet electrification, including fast energy delivery, minimizing changes to fleet operations and reducing load on the electricity grid by slowly charging the batteries in the swapping station, Ample said.

“Tokyo is one of the world’s most advanced cities in sustainable urban development and one of the largest markets for commercial deliveries, making it the perfect place for our next deployments as we expand our presence in Japan,” said Khaled Hassounah, CEO of Ample. “By providing a fast and scalable solution for commercial fleets, we’re helping the city of Tokyo set an example for how densely populated cities can electrify.”

Source: Ample