In the landscape of urban mobility, electric bicycles (e-bikes) are highly favored by the general public for their affordability, flexibility, and convenience. According to relevant data, the ownership of e-bikes in China has exceeded 300 million units, with a continuous annual growth rate of 52 million units. Faced with such a huge market demand, battery swapping cabinets—an innovative solution to address e-bike charging challenges—are undergoing rapid development and transformation. However, a series of recent events in the industry have attracted widespread attention.
Since this year, the safety of e-bike battery swapping cabinets has become a focus of social concern. In Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, during case handling, procuratorates discovered that some shared battery swapping cabinets illegally provided lithium batteries exceeding the 48V limit specified in the new national standard. Additionally, there were hidden risks such as insufficient fire-fighting equipment and missing safety signs. Investigation showed that 8 battery swapping cabinet operators in Haishu District had deployed cabinets at 443 locations, mostly in densely populated areas.
Subsequently, the Haishu District Procuratorate promptly initiated an administrative public interest litigation procedure and issued procuratorial suggestions to relevant authorities through consultations. Upon receiving the suggestions, the authorities launched rectification actions via a special working group, conducting a comprehensive inspection of all battery swapping cabinets and charging/swapping sites in the courier industry across the district. As a result, 213 fire safety hazards were rectified, 51 non-compliant batteries were removed, and legal investigations were initiated against 2 sites with illegal practices. Furthermore, relevant departments in Ningbo have taken the lead in drafting the Work Plan for the Construction and Management of E-Bike Battery Swapping Cabinets in Ningbo, which is currently open for public comments and is expected to further standardize the industry’s development.
Similarly, the Procuratorate of Xincheng District, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, also launched a "special inspection campaign on fire safety hazards of e-bike battery swapping cabinets". Prosecutors found that many battery swapping cabinets in Xincheng District had issues such as improper site selection, lack of monitoring equipment, and no fire-fighting equipment. In response, the procuratorate issued 3 procuratorial suggestions to administrative supervision departments. Relevant administrative agencies then issued a notice, conducting a comprehensive inspection of 61 e-bike battery swapping cabinet operation sites in the jurisdiction. They urged the relocation of 5 cabinets from indoor to outdoor areas, the dismantling of 4 cabinets with non-compliant operations, and the power cutoff of 3 cabinets. At the same time, 4 enterprises were interviewed regarding unclear warning labels on batteries, and safety promotion and fire extinguisher usage training were carried out.
These measures indicate that local authorities across the country are strengthening safety supervision over e-bike battery swapping cabinets. Through multi-departmental collaboration, they are improving supervision mechanisms, eliminating safety hazards, and safeguarding users’ lives and property.
In terms of technological innovation, the e-bike battery swapping cabinet industry has also made significant progress. The all-solid-state battery e-bike swapping pilot project launched in Yizhuang, Beijing, has attracted much attention. Jointly implemented by Beijing Chunli New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Yadea Technology Group, and Zhizu Wulian Technology Group, the project leverages Chunli New Energy’s long-term technological expertise to build China’s first set of "four integrated systems for charging, swapping, management, and usage" centered on all-solid-state battery products—marking the first application of all-solid-state battery technology in the e-bike sector.
In the first phase, the project was launched in two core commercial areas in Yizhuang, Beijing: Dazhu Plaza and Longfor Paradise Walk. It accurately targets closed and controllable B-end instant delivery scenarios in shopping malls, such as on-site rider delivery services for 7Fresh Supermarket, Sam’s Club, and Duodian DMALL. The project will gradually expand to core business districts in Beijing and key cities nationwide. All-solid-state batteries feature higher energy density, better safety performance, and longer service life, promising to bring more efficient and safer swapping experiences to e-bike users while providing a new solution to address urban e-bike safety hazards.
In addition, some enterprises are continuously innovating in the intelligent management of battery swapping cabinets. With the application of AI scheduling systems, the accuracy of low-battery early warnings has been significantly improved, and the average daily swapping frequency per cabinet has increased notably. For example, the Jike Battery Swapping Cabinet, manufactured by Zhilai Technology, adopts a modular design and supports over 10 mainstream battery models, greatly enhancing the versatility and operational efficiency of the cabinets.
With the maturation of technology and the strengthening of safety supervision, the application scenarios of e-bike battery swapping cabinets in the market are continuously expanding. The rapid development of the instant delivery industry has become a key driver of demand growth for battery swapping cabinets. It is predicted that by 2025, the scale of the instant retail market will reach 1.5 trillion yuan, and the number of riders will exceed 10 million. For food delivery and courier riders, the "swap-and-go" model of battery swapping cabinets significantly saves charging time and improves work efficiency. For instance, after accessing the battery swapping network, the average daily riding distance of riders on food delivery platforms has increased by 40%, and the daily order volume has risen by 15%.
The shared e-bike market is also accelerating its transition to the "battery swapping model". This shift not only reduces operation and maintenance costs but also improves the success rate of users finding available bikes. In the civilian market, the penetration rate of battery swapping habits via swapping cabinets is rising rapidly. A battery swapping cabinet in a community in Shenzhen serves over 200 residents daily, effectively resolving safety hazards such as "random wire-based charging" and reducing property complaints by 85%.
The e-bike battery swapping cabinet industry is in a critical period of rapid development. Strengthened safety supervision has laid a solid foundation for the industry’s development, technological innovation has injected momentum into it, and market expansion has opened up space for growth. In the future, with the continuous implementation of various policies, ongoing technological progress, and further release of market demand, the e-bike battery swapping cabinet industry is expected to play a greater role in solving the "last-mile" challenge of urban travel, improving the safety and convenience of urban mobility, and contributing significantly to the sustainable development of urban green travel. Enterprises in the industry should seize opportunities, actively innovate, enhance their competitiveness, and work together to drive the industry toward a more brilliant future.
