Think EV battery swap tech is a gimmick? Chinese EV company Nio says it swapped a million batteries in a week

Date:
Wed, 13 May 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Description:
Nio is swapping more than 1 million EV batteries a week, as China pulls away on the innovative EV charging technology

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Nio says it has performed more than 100 million battery swaps since 2018 The technology is hailed for its ease and speed Slower on-site charging also reduces the strain on the grid
The history of EV battery swap technology is as long and as complicated as
the electric vehicle itself , with numerous manufacturers attempting to
create networks that would allow owners to drive in and have a fresh battery inserted in minutes.

Renault worked alongside the Better Place network with its early Fluence
Z.E. model back in 2011 to push battery swap technology, and even Tesla had a stab at it, finally scrapping the idea due to a lack of interest. But Chinese manufacturer Nio has continued to push forward with battery swapping technology, stating that during China's recent May Day travel rush, its Power Swap business completed over 1 million battery swaps in a single week, according to Inside EVs . Latest Videos From You may like This new EV battery is promising incredible six-minute charging speeds Megawatt charging is go BYD's new 1,500kW EV network has gas station speeds China just showed off its world-beating EV battery tech for instant charges

Nios all-electric sub-brand Onvo currently operates 2,491 stations across China but is targeting more than 3,300 by the end of the year. This is in addition to Nios own 3,843 Power Swap stations.

Nio said that on its busiest day, May 1, the company swapped out 170,585 batteries across its entire network. On average, each site swaps out around
40 batteries a day, slowly recharging the spent cells and replacing them in a different vehicle once fully charged.

From May 1 until May 5, Nio says it provided 15.4 gigawatt-hours of energy, which it claims was around 16.3% of all energy delivered to EVs in China over the same period, according to Inside EVs. Analysis: a standardized system is needed (Image credit: Nio) There are so many benefits of battery swapping technology, with the most obvious being speed. It takes around three minutes to swap a battery pack, while even the fastest chargers on the planet still take around ten minutes. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
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For most, the public EV charging experience takes at least 20 minutes, if not 45 or more.

Another plus point is that the spent battery cells are charged at a much slower rate on-site, meaning there is far less demand on local grids than an entire bank of ultra -fast-charging outlets delivering 1.5MW of power to multiple cars.

That said, battery swap technology is also very expensive, with a huge investment required from a manufacturer or provider to not only build the sites, but also ensure there are enough battery packs available to service an entire fleet. What to read next Chinese researchers just passed a massive semi-solid-state EV battery milestone A massive new survey just dispelled the biggest myth about EV batteries An EV that charges to 70% in 5 minutes? It's real, and it's coming to Europe soon

This is why Nio's Power Swap technology is limited outside of China, with a handful of stations operating in Europe. Although the number is steadily increasing.

On top of this, there is a distinct lack of standardization in the automotive battery industry, meaning Nios battery swap tech only works with Nio or its Onvo models.

However, the Chinese marque has been working with the countrys leading
battery supplier, CATL, to both standardize and deploy battery-swapping technology that could see it open to rival manufacturers, such as Chery and Geely.

This is likely to make Chinese car design even more homogeneous, as vehicles will have to be built around the battery-swapping hardware, but it is a great way to make EV charging more convenient and lower the cost of EV ownership.

In most cases, customers simply lease the battery pack (one of the most expensive parts of an EV) on a monthly basis, which means manufacturers can lower the sticker price and encourage budget-savvy consumers to make the switch. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/think-ev-batte ry-swap-tech-is-a-gimmick-chinese-ev-company-nio-says-it-swapped-a-million-bat teries-in-a-week


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