Service Operation Strategy Selection Based on the Vehicle–Battery Separation Model

The vehicle–battery separation (VBS) model, which encompasses battery leasing and swapping services (BLSs), can effectively address the adoption challenges of new energy vehicles (NEVs). To identify the optimal strategy for battery-swapping operators under this model, this paper develops four operational models: full in-house provision of both services (FS), in-house battery swapping only (OS), in-house battery leasing only (OL), and full outsourcing of both services (FO). A comparative analysis is then conducted to determine the optimal strategy. The results show that the operators’ optimal strategy is co-determined by consumers’ price sensitivity to the battery swapping and the cost of battery production. Specifically, under conditions of high consumer responsiveness to battery swapping price, the battery-swapping operator should adopt the FS strategy. As price sensitivity decreases, the optimal strategy becomes contingent on the battery production cost. Specifically, when battery production costs are low, the FO strategy is the most profitable option; otherwise, the FS strategy emerges as the optimal strategy. Furthermore, the numerical analysis shows that the optimal strategy for promoting the VBS model is either FS or FO, depending on consumers’ sensitivity to swapping price.