U Power And Velo Labs Team Up To Create Battery Bank Trading And Funding Platform

U Power Limited UCAR, the Chinese EV power solution company that offers a proprietary battery-swapping technology, is setting out to further electrify the market via a deal with Velo Labs Technology Ltd., a global fintech company. The two have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a battery infrastructure investment ecosystem in Thailand. 

The idea is to create a battery bank asset and fund trading platform based on Velo’s blockchain technology. Through the platform U Power and Velo Labs hope to attract external funding to promote the large-scale development of the battery bank industry.

A battery bank is a collection of batteries that are connected and store energy together. For EVs, the idea of the industry is to create battery bank stations around the country where drivers quickly swap out dead batteries for new ones. The trading platform would integrate battery assets from various “UOTTA” battery bank scenarios, including batteries for four-wheel and two-wheel electric vehicles, batteries from various battery swap stations and batteries used in energy storage projects.

 “Our partnership with Velo Labs demonstrates that as electric vehicles and other green applications develop on a large scale, battery banks will become increasingly important," said Jia Li, Chairman and CEO of U Power, when announcing the deal. "Once the value system and trading model for battery assets are established, more investors will be attracted to enter this vast market in the future. Our UOTTA battery swap business serves as an ideal carrier for this model and will generate consistent returns for our shareholders.”

U Power's Edge 

With U Power's advanced technology, consumers and fleet operators can replace dead EV batteries with fully charged ones in under five minutes. That removes the time challenges, and with swapping stations eventually located throughout China, it eliminates the fear of running out of battery life. As of March 2023, U Power had a vehicle sourcing network of about 100 wholesalers and 30 dealers across China's lower-tier cities. Last year, it sold and delivered six battery-swapping stations to four customers. All told, it has already sold eleven battery-swapping stations.

As part of the collaboration between U Power and Velo Labs, the two will manage the entire lifecycle of battery assets, including battery cascade utilization, dismantling and environmentally friendly disposal and comprehensively improving battery utilization rates and residual value, U Power says. Velo Labs is a fintech based in the British Virgin Islands. It was co-founded in 2018 by Chatchaval Jiaravanon, a member of the Charoen Pokphand Group, which is Thailand’s largest conglomerate. Velo Labs aims to create a trustless financial infrastructure that supports cryptocurrency payments and smart contracts, making financial transactions cheaper, faster and more accessible.

Battery Swapping Trending 

U Power and Velo Labs collaboration comes at a time when battery swapping could be set to grow in China as the country embraces EVs as a way to fight global warming. The market size for battery swapping and electric commercial vehicles is projected to reach RMB 176,615.1 million in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 68.1% from now until then, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan cited by U Power. U Power is aiming to capitalize on it by forging partnerships and innovating in the market. In addition to its deal with Velo Labs, U Power counts Dutch electric vehicle company UNEX as well as Cornerstone Technologies Holdings Limited as partners.

The EV market seems to be poised for growth as the world looks for greener alternatives, and trading the energy being collected and stored could emerge as a key trend. U Power and Velo Labs are banking on that with this collaboration. 

Featured photo by israel palacio on Unsplash.

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