Partnership: Mer and NIO Create 15 Power Swap Station Network in Germany and Austria
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Mer and NIO – two experienced e-mobility specialists
E-vehicle manufacturers have drivers interested and waiting in the wings. However, what is missing is an adequate and comprehensive charging infrastructure so vehicles can be charged. This is where the two e-mobility specialists Mer and NIO come into play. Their vision: A sustainable future through electromobility and the expansion of renewable energies. Together, both companies now want to take the next step and support each other in the joint development of locations for vehicle charging solutions.
As part of their new partnership, the two companies are planning to build more than 15 premium locations together by 2025. These locations are strategically located and will combine Mer’s extensive range of charging solutions for EV drivers with NIO’s unique, fully automated Power Swap Stations (PSS).
With Mer’s extensive charging network, e-mobilists will be able to fill up with 100 percent certified green electricity at the new locations and NIO users will be able to experience the convenience of a fully automatic battery change at Power Swap Stations, which take around five minutes. A power swap station is the size of a double garage and designed for a maximum of 312 “swaps” per day. Up to 13 batteries are charged with 40 kW to 80 kW in a grid and battery-friendly way, without causing typical peaks in the power grid.
Joint locations already planned
The planning of the first joint location near the important transport hub of Bielefeld has already started, with further locations in Germany and Austria also planned. In future, the partnership will also focus on vehicle fleet support, so drivers of NIO-BEVs can also use Mer’s sustainable and comfortable fleet offer.
NIO and Mer have already signed a memorandum of understanding in Sweden, Norway and the UK. At the joint signing of the memorandum of understanding for Germany on May 10, 2023, in Gräfelfing, the managing directors of both companies again emphasized their concern to help shape the future of sustainable mobility:
“We are very pleased about this forward-looking cooperation with NIO that will further promote and advance sustainable energy and transition to electric mobility in Europe,” says Günter Fuhrmann, Managing Director, Mer Group DACH. “The cooperation with like-minded partners has always been great for us. We are convinced that, together with NIO, e-car drivers and NIO users will be able to offer an even better range of services in the future.”
Ralph Kranz, General Manager NIO Deutschland GmbH comments: “The expansion of the charging infrastructure is an important factor when switching to electromobility, which NIO supplements with the unique concept of the Power Swap Stations. In addition to the charging options on home wall boxes and with fast chargers, our users get maximum flexibility through battery replacement, which will also allow you to switch between different battery sizes in the future. With the start of our strategic and long-term partnership, we are looking forward to complementing Mer’s versatile charging offer with our PSS concept in Germany and Austria.”
Founded on November 25, 2014, NIO is an international company that designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance and intelligent electric cars. “To Shape a Joyful Lifestyle” is our mission, in which we aim to bring a positive lifestyle experience to our users through thoughtful and passionate design, great service and advanced technology. “Blue Sky Coming” describes our leading philosophy for a better, positive, and more sustainable future. This principle drives us every day – worldwide. This is also reflected in the logo, which shows the following values: Sky > Vision: Earth > Action. The first vehicle is the EP9, which was launched in 2016 and is one of the fastest electric cars in the world. In June 2018, the first production model was launched, a smart and electric SUV. On September 12, 2018, NIO went public on the NYSE. In 2022, more than 200,000 vehicles had been built. The market launch in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden took place on October 7, 2022. NIO is currently represented in six countries. By 2025, NIO is planning to have more than 25 company locations.
Research and development locations: Beijing (Software R&D), Hefei (Manufacturing Center), Munich (Global Design Center), Nanjing (Electric Drive System Manufacturing), Oxford (Advanced Engineering R&D), San Jose (Autonomous Driving R&D), Shanghai (International head office).
NIO Keywords: NIO Life, NIO House, NIOService, NIO Power, NIO App, BaaS, Power Swap Station; PSS
For more information: https://www.nio.com/de_DE/news
Today, companies are faced with the challenge of realizing the energy and transport transition. Mer’s vision is for customers to charge their electric vehicles anywhere with 100 percent green electricity. In this way, companies can reduce their ecological footprint and convert their vehicle fleet to electrified drives individually and cost-effectively. As a leading provider of charging solutions, MER not only provides fleet customers but also consumers with the complete charging infrastructure for operating electric and hybrid vehicles. With a public charging network of more than 20,000 charging stations operated by Mer and access to a total of more than 235,000 charging points in Europe, both corporate and private customers can rely on Mer. The services include planning, hardware, installation, and operation of the charging stations as well as the provision of the services via our own APPs and portals – and all this with the backing of Statkraft, the largest producer of renewable energy in Europe. This is how Mer is taking the path of real mobility and energy transition.
More information at de.mer.eco