(Yicai Global) April 19 -- Global battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology has started operating its first four Evogo battery swap stations in southeastern China's Xiamen with big plans.

The number of Evogo stations in China should reach 30 by year-end, the Ningde-based firm said in a statement yesterday.

When a unit of CATL launched the Evogo brand in January it said 10 Chinese cities would initially be able to experience the service.

CATL is not the first Chinese company to build battery swap stations for electric vehicles but it might be the most powerful one regarding its price advantage. Evogo users may pay a minimum monthly subscription fee of CNY399 (USD62) per unit while the firm will later adjust the price based on usage, it said yesterday.

The battery manufacturer has partnered with automakers, vehicle operators, power grid companies, and even financial institutions regarding its battery swap business, and more progress will be disclosed in due course, said an insider at the firm.

The service is built around a new product, dubbed Choco. The Choco battery has an energy density of more than 160 watt-hours per kilogram and a volumetric energy density topping 325 Wh per liter, meaning a range of about 200 kilometers. It can be applied to 80 percent of all existing pure-electric vehicles and those that will be developed in the next three years, according to CATL.

Each Evogo station covers an area of about three parking lots and can store 48 battery blocks. It should take just one minute for the user to change the battery. CATL has taken into consideration different climate conditions in station design.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi