Shanghai (ZXZC)- Lazhasi Network Technology (Shanghai), the operator of Chinese online food delivery platform Ele.me, unveiled a patent it applied for a disposable method and equipment used for battery swapping service, according to the corporate database Qichacha.

Photo credit: Ele.me

Qichacha's information shows that the method referred by the patent is developed to offer users the detailed information about battery swapping service providers, so as to help them rapidly make decision on which battery swapping service should be chosen.

Ele.me, whose name roughly translates as “Are you hungry?”, was founded in 2008 and was fully acquired by Alibaba Group in 2018. Through the take-out platform, the technology giant is seeking to leverage its logistics service network and location-based service (LBS) to dive deeper into brick-and-mortar retailing.

The aforesaid method will be operational relying on Ele.me’s technical advantage in the LBS field. To be specific, on the mapping surface of the Ele.me’s App, a user can select a battery service provider based on the information provided by the platform and then will see where the corresponding battery service station is located.

Battery swapping is a process in which a drained battery is exchanged for a fully charged one at a battery swapping station. With the rapid growth of NEV sales, it is drawing attention of increasingly more industry players. Such Chinese automakers as NIO, Geely, BAIC BJEV, and Changan Automobile have all developed businesses in this field.

As of March 2022, China had owned a total of 1,451 battery swap stations, 46 of which were newly built last month, according to the data from the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA).