Chinese battery firm CATL and automaker Nio are preparing to launch what the two companies claim will be the world’s largest electric vehicle battery swapping network.
CATL and Nio announced a technical partnership last year that included battery swapping, but on Tuesday they confirmed plans to start coordinating efforts as they build out battery swapping stations.
Nio launches Firefly EV brand during Nio Day 2024
The two companies will operate networks in parallel, but with more overlap as time goes on. CATL’s Chico-Swap technical standards will be used in EVs from Nio’s Firefly brand, and both companies will work toward national standards for battery swapping tech in China that would make it easier to accommodate other brands in the future, CATL and Nio said in press releases.
CATL is also investing 2.5 billion yuan (approximately $345 million at current exchange rates) in Nio Power, the automaker’s charging and battery swapping unit, as part of the ongoing partnership.
Nio launches Firefly EV brand during Nio Day 2024
Nio has stood out among Chinese automakers for years as it’s the only one that continued pushing on battery swapping even after the fast-charging network was built out. It claims to have built 3,172 swapping stations in China, including 1,000 along major highways connecting over 700 cities. Volvo and Polestar have signed up for the tech, on a limited basis, and a list of Chinese automakers have already partnered to test or use the tech in some models.
There’s nothing like it outside China, in terms of scale. A number of automakers—like Ford—have suggested they’re considering battery swapping, but none have invested big on the tech, beyond a few pilot programs. California startup Ample is also aiming to revive large-scale battery swapping in the U.S. with a system allowing different vehicles to adapt to its battery packs and swapping stations.