The Oshan 520 was officially revealed in China as Changan’s first electric vehicle with a swappable battery. It will be compatible with the CATL’s battery swap network. This means that the Oshan 520 sedan adopts Choco-SEB scalable batteries. Moreover, it was revealed that Changan’s car will adopt the new generation of those packs.
The Changan Oshan 520 was exposed by the Chinese MIIT in mid-October. The regulator’s photos were too blurry to see the badge clearly. We decided to read it as S20 as Oshan’s naming nomenclature always goes with a letter followed by a number. However, Oshan has broken its naming system, officially revealing that the car’s name is Oshan 520.
More about Changan Oshan 520
Changan Oshan 520 isn’t really a new model. It derives from the Nevo A05 sedan, which is a PHEV variant of the petrol-powered Changan Eado (previous name is Changan Yida). However, Changan cooperated with the Chinese biggest battery maker CATL to create a vehicle with a swappable battery. The two sides officially signed the cooperation agreement on November 22.
According to the agreement, the Oshan 520 sedan will become the first EV to adopt the CATL-developed second-gen Choco-SEB batteries. The first generation of those batteries was launched in 2022. They adopted the cell-to-pack technology with an energy density of 160 Wh/kg. A single Choco-SEB block has a capacity of 26.5 kWh, suitable for a range of 200 km. And the cars compatible with CATL’s battery swap technology can hold up to three blocks at a time. It means the total battery capacity reaches 79.8 kWh.
There is no further information about the second-gen SEB batteries. However, it was revealed the range of the Oshan 520 will reach 515 km (CLTC). The battery will send power to a 105-kW (141 hp) electric motor. According to Changan officials, the battery pack of the Oshan 520 can be replaced in two minutes.
Owners of the Changan Oshan 520 will be able to swap batteries at the CATL’s stations. They can store up to 48 battery packs. The exact number of the swap stations is below 300 units. However, CATL aims to install over 500 swap stations by 2025 and over 3,000 by 2027. Previously, CATL cooperated with one of the biggest Chinese automakers SGMW to boost the battery swap integration into the logistics business.
Back to the Changan 520, its dimensions are 4770/1840/1470 mm with a wheelbase of 2765 mm. Its curb weight is 1,535 kg. The top speed of this EV reaches 135 km/h. Changan will assemble the Oshan 520 at its plant in Chongqing.
It is worth mentioning that Changan had previously cooperated with Nio to promote battery swap infrastructure and develop cars compatible with swappable batteries. However, it seems that only high-end Changan cars will support Nio’s network as Nio’s batteries compatible with swap stations are ternary NMC. As for the cheap EVs, they will stick to the CATL’s battery swap solution.
