EV maker Nio has started rolling out its Banyan 3.2.2 vehicle software update in China, adding improvements to driver assistance, introducing in-car payment through ‘Nio Pay’ and an improved autonomous navigation to its battery-swap stations.
The Shanghai-headquartered EV maker said the update will be rolled out in batches to the ES6, EC6, ES8, ET7, ES7, EC7, ET5 and ET5 Touring.
Nio’s models built on the NT 2.0 platform run on the Banyan system, while its flagship ET9 uses the ‘Cedar’ system.
According to the release notes, the new version refines point-to-point navigation assist on highways and city streets with improved efficiency when entering and exiting toll stations.
City assist initiates multi-lane changes earlier when required, and the system now supports bus lanes for smoother merging.
Parking-lot driving speeds have been adjusted to better match human driving behavior, while detection of barrier gates has been optimized.
The update also adds a headlight flash in ramp blind spots to warn oncoming traffic. Nio listed its NWM (Nio World Model) driver-assistance software at version 2.6.4.
Smart parking functions have been expanded with a wider detection footprint. The company said the system’s selectable parking-space range has been extended by 50%, allowing cars to choose slots located further to the left or right.
Emergency braking has been fine-tuned to offer greater protection in low-speed scenarios by reducing the chance of passenger injuries caused by inertia.
Reverse automatic emergency braking has also been upgraded to more precisely detect pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles, even while reversing and turning simultaneously.
Nio’s in-car voice assistant ‘NOMI’ now offers proactive suggestions by recognizing the external driving environment and linking with the SkyOS operating system to trigger suitable functions.
As an example, the company said it can recommend enabling Wet Mode on slippery roads or advise switching to air recirculation when dust is detected ahead — as long as the navigation-on-pilot system is active.
The update introduces ‘Nio Pay’, allowing in-car payments for battery swaps.
Drivers can now settle unpaid swap orders directly through the vehicle interface using account credits, coupons, subsidies or cash. Payment can be made via QR code or password-free authorization.
Nio said the password-free option has a single transaction limit of 300 yuan and a daily limit of 500 yuan, which can be activated through the Nio App.
A new beta feature for swap-station navigation provides a 3D map and precise routing inside complex facilities, designed to resolve issues where standard navigation cannot accurately guide drivers to the station.
“When heading to a swap station marked with “Battery-Swap-Station Guidance,” after the vehicle enters the park’s internal roads, the car system will automatically switch to 3D map rendering and provide precise routing to the swap station,” Nio said in the release notes.
It further added that the new feature solves “the problems of ordinary navigation not finding the way or unreasonable guidance, making it more reassuring to find a station at night.”
In November 2023, Nio‘s head of smart driving products and experiences Harry Wong shared a video on Chinese social media showing a Nio vehicle traveling to a swap station autonomously and parking there before driving away after completing an automatic battery swap.
The feature — named ‘Power Swap Pilot’ — was first launched in China’s Banyan 2.0.8 version in late 2023.
Additional enhancements include automatic cancellation of turn signals for vehicles equipped with electronic stalks, smart seat ventilation that adjusts cooling based on cabin and outdoor temperatures.
Nio also said vehicles can now support retrofitting to its in-car voice assistant NOMI Mate 3.0, which adds a high-performance gimbal motor with a 340-degree rotation range and new expressive behaviors.
The premium brad began pushing its Nio World Model software platform earlier this year to more than 400,000 Banyan-equipped vehicles.
The company said this latest release builds on that rollout with improvements across advanced driver assistance and user experience.
Earlier this month, Nio Group‘s cheapest sub-brand Firefly has also rolled out a software update, its first major operating system update.
The update introduced new features such as a built-in dashcam functionality, a blind-spot camera view during turns, and customizable wake words for its in-car voice assistant named ‘Lumo.’
