Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and Nio signed a five-year strategic cooperation agreement, the latest in a series of deals that have transformed what began as a supplier relationship into one of the closest partnerships in China’s EV industry.
The world’s largest battery manufacturer said Tuesday that the two companies will deepen cooperation across three major areas — technology, ecosystem, and market — to “jointly promote technological advancement and business model innovation in the new energy vehicle industry.”
However, there were no further details about the cooperation on those three areas.
“Through a structured and long-term cooperation framework, both parties will jointly address industry transformation and provide users with a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable electric mobility experience,” CATL wrote on social media.
The signing took place in Hefei, Anhui province, where Nio operates three EV factories. Neither company disclosed financial terms.
Consolidating Supply
The announcement comes two weeks after local media outlet 36Kr reported that Nio halted battery supply cooperation with BYD’s FinDreams Battery unit for its Onvo sub-brand’s L60 midsize SUV, citing insufficient orders to sustain multiple suppliers.
At the same time, CATL has taken over supply of 100-kWh battery packs for the core Nio brand that were previously supplied partly by CALB, according to the report.
Partnership History
CATL has supplied batteries for Nio since the automaker’s first mass-production vehicle, the original ES8, launched in 2018.
The relationship expanded significantly in early 2024 when the companies signed a framework agreement focused on long-life battery technology tailored to Nio‘s swap network.
Under the deal, CATL committed to developing battery systems with extended service lives for Nio‘s upcoming models, addressing concerns about replacement costs and residual value degradation from battery attenuation.
In March 2025, the partnership deepened further when CATL announced an investment of up to 2.5 billion yuan ($303 million) in Nio Power, the EV maker’s battery charging and swapping unit.
The two companies said they aimed to build the world’s largest battery swapping network and promote industry-wide standardization.
“Through exchange and cooperation in technology, capital, and business, NIO and CATL will achieve a synergistic effect where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Nio said at the time.
In mid-December, Nio founder and CEO William Li and CATL Chairman Robin Zeng met with Hefei government officials to discuss expanding cooperation in new energy vehicles and battery swap services.
Competing Swap Networks
The collaboration comes as both companies operate separate battery swap networks.
CATL unveiled its “Chocolate Swap” system in December 2024, using standardized modules designed for cross-brand compatibility.
The battery maker closed 2025 with over 1,000 stations and expects to more than double the figures by the year end.
Nio opened its first station in early 2018 and has built approximately 3,700 over nearly eight years — excluding 60 across five European markets.
Li said earlier on Tuesday that Nio aims to have over 10,000 stations by 2030.
Under the March agreement, the two companies committed to sharing their battery swap networks based on unified battery standards.
