In the bustling urban streets, delivery riders weave through every corner, providing indispensable services for the city's fast-paced life. In this race against time, battery swapping cabinets have become their essential "shared power banks." Especially in cities, more than 90% of riders have used battery swapping cabinets, and for flash delivery riders, this percentage could even reach 100%. The presence of battery swapping cabinets has significantly helped riders overcome the battery life bottleneck during long delivery hours, making it a necessity in their work.

Battery Swapping Cabinets: The Riders' "Shared Power Banks"

The widespread adoption of battery swapping cabinets among riders is closely linked to the limitations of electric bike batteries. According to the "Beijing Non-Motor Vehicle Management Ordinance," the nominal voltage of electric bike batteries is strictly capped at 48V. However, for electric bikes that need to cover 100 kilometers a day to deliver food, a standard 48V battery only lasts 2-3 hours. This means frequent charging is an unavoidable issue for delivery riders.

Before the emergence of battery swapping platforms, traditional bike shops could only offer relatively basic charging station services. Riders needed to purchase one or two extra batteries to charge at the bike shop and then pick them up when they needed a replacement. However, this method had many drawbacks, such as disorganized battery management and significant safety risks.

The Rise of Battery Swapping Companies

In 2017, a new force began to emerge in the market—battery swapping companies. These companies provide battery swapping services for electric two-wheelers, addressing the issue of insufficient battery life. According to the "2023 China Electric Two-Wheeler Battery Swapping Service Market Research Report" by Frost & Sullivan, the market size for electric two-wheeler battery swapping services in China reached 4.53 billion yuan in 2022. Companies like Tieta Swap, Xiaoha Swap, and Hello Swap, among more than 30 large-scale enterprises, have stood out in this vast market.

As smart battery swapping cabinet companies rose, the electric bike industry quickly became one of the first to test the waters. These electric bike merchants purchase battery cabinets, batteries, and a range of supporting backend management hardware from third-party service providers. For riders needing battery swapping services, all they need to do is scan a code, and the various package prices and services within the cabinet are immediately visible. For merchants offering battery swapping services, the safety factor of battery swapping cabinets far exceeds the traditional "bulk" charging methods.

Investing in Battery Swapping Cabinets: Profitable or Costly?

Based on the data, the battery swapping cabinet industry seems like a rising sun, shining on the vast blue ocean market. The continuous growth of battery swapping services is driven by the accelerating instant delivery services. According to a report by iResearch, by 2026, the order volume of China’s instant delivery service industry is expected to reach nearly a trillion levels. At the same time, the number of two-wheeled electric vehicles in China has reached 350 million, with more than 7 million Meituan riders.

Industry Competition and Challenges

Despite the promising outlook for the battery swapping cabinet industry, the competition is extremely fierce. Many service providers operate in the market, but their pricing strategies are surprisingly consistent. This means limited profit margins for merchants. Additionally, riders are very picky about their choice of battery swapping cabinets. If a cabinet fails to replace batteries in a timely manner or if the service has issues, riders will not hesitate to abandon a location or even a brand.

As the "shared power banks" for delivery riders, battery swapping cabinets play an increasingly important role in instant delivery services. However, whether investing in battery swapping cabinets is a good business depends on the specific circumstances. In this dynamic battery swapping platform field, only through continuous innovation and improving service quality can one remain invincible in the market.