Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
A fire broke out on Friday morning at a Nio battery swap station in Shenyang, northeastern China, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries.
In a statement, the EV maker said the fire was caused by a malfunction in the station’s roof lighting and clarified that it did not impact the battery or any mechanical components of the swap station.
A video circulating online showed flames erupting inside the swap area while a Nio vehicle was undergoing a battery swap, with burning debris falling from above. Here’s a video of the incident.
The Shanghai-based carmaker said its safety system immediately detected the fire and staff arrived on-site to contain it. The company stated that the fire did not impact the station’s battery infrastructure and was unrelated to the vehicle’s power system.
Nio said it had provided a temporary replacement vehicle and would fully cover the cost of the damaged car, along with additional support for the affected user. Here’s the video shared by Nio alongside the statement.
Battery swap stations, a technology which Nio has been heavily invested since 2018 and more recently also the world’s largest battery maker CATL is investing in, allows EV drivers to receive a (nearly) fully charged battery in a few minutes.
As of today, Nio operates a network of 3,117 swap stations in China and 59 in Europe. The manufacturer is set to open its first battery swap station in the Middle East next week, on February 26, according to the official invitation for the event seen by EV.
In its home market, the company has provided over 66.5 million battery swaps and reached a new daily record of swaps provided during the Chinese New Year holidays with over 130,000 in 24 hours.
Nio’s full statement
“At approximately 10:40 AM on February 21, a fire broke out in the roof lighting fixture of Nio’s battery swap station at the Hongxing Meikailong Tiexi store in Shenyang. Nio’s safety system immediately issued an alert, and staff promptly arrived at the scene to control the fire.
A preliminary on-site investigation confirmed that the fire originated from the station’s roof lighting and did not affect the battery or mechanical components within the swap station.
The incident resulted in damage to a user’s vehicle but caused no injuries or damage to surrounding property.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and loss this incident has caused our users. We have arranged a temporary replacement vehicle to ensure their mobility needs are met. Nio will fully cover the cost of the damaged vehicle and provide additional support measures.
Nio also stated that a comprehensive investigation has been launched to identify potential safety risks and ensure user safety.”
Nio’s New Battery Swap Station Plant
Nio’s latest battery swap station plant, located in Wuhan, is currently ramping up production and is expected to scale up to 1,500 units annually, generating projected revenue of 2 billion yuan ($275.3 million).
CATL’s Battery Swapping
In mid-December, China’s battery giant CATL introduced two standardized battery models, named “#20” and “#25,” developed in collaboration with nearly 100 partners.
The #20 battery pack, using LFP technology, provides a capacity of 42 kWh supporting a range of 400 km with the #25 battery pack offering a larger capacity of 56 kWh and a range of 500 km.
