--- title: "Startup Says It Can “Charge” an Electric Car In Under Ten Minutes" description: "Startup Ample has launched an electric car charging network that can provide a car with a full charge in less than ten minutes, as Business Insider reports." date: "2021-03-03" modified: "2021-03-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/startup-swap-electric-car-battery-ten-minutes" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "car charging" - "electric cars" - "the digest" --- # Startup Says It Can “Charge” an Electric Car In Under Ten Minutes ![Startup Ample has launched an electric car charging network that can provide a car with a full charge in less than ten minutes, as Business Insider reports.]() *\Image: Ample\* ## Ample Time San Francisco-based startup Ample has launched an electric car charging network that can provide a car with a full charge in less than ten minutes, [*Business Insider* reports](). Ample got on its feet thanks to a partnership with Uber. It's currently in charge of charging the ride-hailing app's fleet of cars in San Francisco. And now, seemingly, it wants to revolutionize the infrastructure of electric vehicles. ## Like Lego Rather than charging existing batteries, the startup is betting on battery-swapping technologies, a system likened to "Lego blocks" by CEO Khaled Hassounah. The company's concept is entirely modular, meaning that larger vehicles can fit more battery modules, while smaller vehicles only need to swap fewer. The system is also entirely autonomous with customers only interacting with a smartphone app. https://youtu.be/5hcCbg1Nf-c ## Battery Swap The overall goal is to eliminate "range anxiety," meaning consumer hesitancy caused by the limited range of many electric vehicles currently on the market. Ample is also trying to make electric cars more affordable. "Electric cars shouldn't have to be subsidized by the government or come at a huge personal cost," Ample president John de Souza told *BI*. "It has to be more convenient than gas so it becomes a no-brainer for people to say, 'Why wouldn't I switch?'" So far, the company has only built two stations in San Francisco, but it's planning to install several more in other major Californian cities. It's an interesting move considering that the majority of electric automakers have decided to permanently affix batteries to their range of vehicles and build out in-situ car charging infrastructure. It's unclear if that would make the majority of electric cars on the road today, including Teslas, incompatible with Ample's infrastructure. To fully realize its potential, Ample still has a lot to prove. It's a compelling idea, but it's arguably is late to the game. **READ MORE:** [You could soon charge an electric car in the time it takes to fill a tank of gas thanks to a startup partnering with Uber]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on electric cars:** *[VW Shows Off Futuristic Car Charging Robot Prototype]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()