Empirical evaluation of battery swapping technology adoption in urban electric taxi operations

Battery swapping is an efficient recharging method for electric vehicles (EVs). In taxi fleets, its shorter recharging time reduces drivers’ concerns about remaining battery energy and shortens downtime during services. In this study, we analyse real-world operational data from 872 electric taxis to assess the effectiveness of adopting battery swapping technology (relative to plug-in charging) on reducing range anxiety and improving operational efficiency. Our findings show that battery swapping technology significantly mitigates range anxiety among electric taxi drivers. This effect is largely driven by its pronounced impact under low- and moderate temperature conditions, with non-significant effects observed in high-temperature environments. Additionally, its impact on operational efficiency exhibits a similar pattern—battery swapping significantly improves efficiency in low- and moderate temperature settings. These findings offer new empirical evidence on the operational implications of battery swapping, particularly under varying temperature conditions.