China's getting a big electric car battery swapping boost in 2025. Would that work across the globe?

abcnews.go.com:

Global battery maker CATL says it will expand its electric vehicle battery swapping in China in 2025

Detroit — China will soon see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping, as global battery maker CATL said Wednesday it is investing heavily in stations there next year.

Battery swapping is not new — but it's had a challenging journey. Adoption of electric vehicles has varied in regions across the globe over the past several years, and that doesn't always bode well for building new infrastructure.

While the technology could do well in China, it's uncertain whether it could work in other countries.

Battery swapping allows EV drivers to pull into a station on a low battery and receive a swapped, fully-charged battery within minutes.

An EV has to be equipped with the right technology to receive a swap — and not many models around the world currently have it. Automakers have to buy into the idea, and EV adoption among consumers also has to grow, so that investing in new infrastructure seems worthwhile. Consumers also have to be comfortable not owning their battery.

China is much further along in adopting EVs than other countries.

Not only is it the world's largest auto market, but in July, the country hit a milestone with 50% of new sales electric — and it accounts for most of this year's global EV sales.

China supports EV growth through government subsidies and mandates. So it makes more sense for companies to invest in unique EV infrastructure there because that's more likely to be needed.

The most notable example might be Israeli startup Better Place, which tried its hand at swapping in 2007.

But the company shut down a few years later after investing a lot of money and coming up against roadblocks