Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
William Li, the founder and CEO of EV maker Nio, said last month that 2025 would be a major year for the expansion of the company’s battery swap network.
Initially, everyone thought this would be due to the 2,000 new stations the company aims to build and open this year, but it now appears to be much bigger than that.
Nio signed on Monday a partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL), the world’s largest battery maker and its major EV battery supplier, to “advance the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry by building a battery swapping network for passenger vehicles.”
Additionally, both companies said they “will also pursue capital cooperation,” with CATL advancing an investment capped at 2.5 billion yuan ($346 million) in Nio’s energy business, known as Nio Power.
In mid-December, China’s battery giant CATL announced its battery swapping ecosystem, the ‘Choco-Swap’ stations, introducing two standardized battery models, named “#20” and “#25.”
Last December, when asked about CATL’s new swappable batteries, William Li told reporters that the standardized batteries would serve a different segment than Nio’s recently launched sub-brand Firefly. Li referred to CATL’s batteries as “likely targeting entry-level, relatively lower-priced vehicles.”
However, with the latest partnership, the companies announced that Firefly vehicles will use CATL’s “Chocolate” battery swap standard and network allowing the company to save costs on building a new battery swap network for the compact model.
Over the last two years, the Shanghai-based EV maker has signed several partnerships with other Chinese carmakers, allowing them to develop electric models that can use its battery swap stations.
Commenting on the major investment announced by the world’s largest EV battery maker, Nio’s chief executive said earlier this year that “the fact that CATL is firmly investing in this sector is a positive sign,” emphasizing the “close partnership” between both companies.
Li added that “many companies are entering the space,” recalling the “strategic cooperation agreements” Nio has already signed with Chery, Geely Holding Group, Changan Automobile, FAW Group, Nio’s former manufacturing partner JAC, Lotus, and GAC Group.
Nio’s Network
Nio has provided over 68.7 million battery swaps in China since launching its first station in 2018. The company currently operates 3,171 swap stations, with most built in the past two years. It aims to increase the total number to 5,000, as automakers joining Nio’s swap network prepare to launch their first compatible EVs.
In Europe, Nio currently operates 59 battery swap stations across six countries, with most of them located in Germany and Norway.
Nio’s Battery Swap Partnerships
Earlier this year, the Chinese carmaker Chery Auto confirmed that its first battery swap-compatible models (a sedan and an SUV) will be launched between July and September.
The models, which belong to its Exeed brand, will be the first outside of Nio’s lineup to gain access to the company’s battery swap network.
Later in January, GAC Group told EV that it is developing its first battery swap-compatible model, which is now awaiting internal approval. The Chinese carmaker joined Nio’s battery swap alliance in May 2024.
