Nio aims to add at least 1,000 swap stations in 2026
Nio plans to add at least 1,000 battery swap stations in 2026, following a slowdown in construction over the past two years. The company added 679 and 681 stations in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Nio will deploy its fifth-generation swap stations, which will have a 20% increase in capacity compared to the fourth generation. The pilot sites are expected to begin trial operations before Christmas 2025. Nio's strategy has shifted towards partnering for construction to reduce costs, with plans to cover over 2,300 counties in China by the end of 2025.
- Nio slowed the construction of battery swap stations over the past two years, adding 679 and 681 stations in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
- Nio will begin deploying its fifth-generation battery swap stations in 2026.
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO, HKG: 9866) will ramp up infrastructure development this year following a slowdown in these efforts during 2024 and 2025.
The company will begin deploying its fifth-generation battery swap station in 2026, adding at least 1,000 stations throughout the year, Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li said, according to a video shared today by automotive blogger @德卤爱开车。
Nio's current fourth-generation battery swap station was unveiled at Nio Day 2023 on December 23, 2023, with deployment commencing in June 2024.
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Pilot sites for the fifth-generation stations would enter trial operation before Christmas 2025, with each station's capacity increasing by 20 percent compared to the fourth generation, Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong told media including CnEVPost during a September 21 media roundtable in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
The company has not yet announced when it will begin formal deployment of these next-generation stations.
| Year | New Stations |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 509 |
| 2023 | 1,011 |
| 2024 | 679 |
| 2025 | 681 |
Nio's annual increase in swap stations
Nio significantly ramped up infrastructure construction in 2023, adding 1,011 battery swap stations throughout the year -- double the 509 new stations added in 2022, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
The company originally planned to add another 1,000 battery swap stations in 2024 but later slowed the effort, adding 679 stations for the year.
Nio has not set explicit volume targets for battery swap station construction in 2025. However, in August 2024, it said its network would cover over 2,300 counties across 27 provincial-level administrative regions in China by December 31, 2025.
In 2025, the company added 681 battery swap stations, matching the 2024 expansion rate.
Over the past year, Nio's strategy for battery swap station construction has shifted toward greater reliance on partners to reduce capital expenditures.
Starting in October 2024, the company entered into bundled construction partnerships with partners in multiple Chinese cities to share costs and revenues.
Nio brand to add over 4,200 long-range battery packs to swap network in Jan
Nio's battery swap system will further expand its long-range battery pack inventory based on user demand, the company said.
