Chinese EV maker Nio broke its battery‑swap record with 175,976 swaps in a day, highlighting ultra‑fast charging. Discover its growing network today!
Record‑breaking day
On February 21, Nio logged 175,976 battery‑swap transactions across its network – the highest daily total since the service launched.
Progress over the past week
The figure follows a rapid climb: 158,290 swaps on Feb 18, 165,898 on Feb 19 and 170,305 on Feb 20. The surge coincided with the Chinese New Year travel rush, when millions of drivers hit the road.
From modest beginnings to ultra‑fast stations
When Nio opened its first swap hub in 2018, each depot housed just four or five battery packs, could handle 72‑120 swaps per day, and required about four to five minutes per exchange, with a technician manually aligning the vehicle.
Fast‑forward eight years, the fourth‑generation stations now hold up to 23 batteries, can perform up to 480 swaps daily, and cut the exchange time to 2 minutes 24 seconds. The process is fully automated – drivers simply drive into the bay, and a robot completes the swap while the vehicle is briefly halted.
Network scale today
- More than 8,600 charging and swapping points nationwide.
- Over 3,700 dedicated battery‑swap stations.
- Approximately 1,000 highway‑adjacent swap stations covering 9 north‑south and 11 east‑west corridors, linking 16 major urban clusters and 550 cities.
Future roadmap – targeting 2026
Nio plans to roll out a fifth‑generation swap system and add another 1,000 stations, pushing the total number of dedicated lines to 100. Key projects include:
- Completion of the Sichuan‑Tibet and Yunnan‑Tibet corridors by 2025.
- Launch of the historic “Silk Road” line this year, stretching 3,133 km from Xian westward, with 33 charging and swapping points.
Why battery swapping matters
Battery swapping eliminates the long wait associated with conventional charging, offering an experience comparable to refueling a gasoline car. For EV owners, the convenience translates into higher utilization rates and reduced range anxiety.
As the technology matures, Nio’s expansive network positions it as a leader in China’s rapid EV infrastructure buildup, challenging traditional fast‑charging models and setting a benchmark for global manufacturers.