Chinese EV brand Nio was able to offer 103,919 battery swap services on 23 January this year ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday (28 January to 4 February) according to Chinese news outlet CNEVPost.
The company – founded in 2014 – has one of the largest charging networks in China, open to all EV models, with chargeable, swappable and upgradable batteries for Nio users. Several brands have partnered with Nio over the last year to improve customer services, according to the report.
The power swap stations are fully automated, with their fourth generation stations taking about four minutes to battery swap – so no longer than a fuel pump. An LED panel tells the driver how long the swap will take and what is happening. The driver is warned the vehicle may shake a bit and not to open the doors. The battery is removed from underneath and replaced with a fully charged unit. The mechanical process is followed by safety checks.
The company hopes battery swaps may help balance energy grids as well because batteries can be recharged at times of low demand, the report stated.