Nio signs battery-swapping partnerships with Changan and Geely

The EV manufacturer Nio has signed strategic partnership agreements on collaboration within battery swapping with the owner of car brands such as Volvo, Zeekr, Polestar, Geometry and Geely, and Changan, owner of brand such as Changan, Deepal, Avatr and Kaisheng.

The strategic partnership agreement with the Geely concerns battery swapping in the city of Hangzhou in the Zhejiang province. Both parties agreed to "carry out comprehensive cooperation on battery standards, battery swapping technology, battery swapping network expansion and operation, swappable model development, and battery asset management.

The agreement with Changan relates to to battery swapping in the direct-controlled city of Chongqing . The two parties will "jointly facilitate the formulation of standards for swappable batteries, build and share the battery swapping network, develop swappable vehicles, and establish an efficient battery asset management mechanism".

Both Nio and Geely nare already involved in battery swapping today although Nio is considered the undisputable leader with more than 33 million swaps completed by its users. Geely formed in early 2022 a joint venture with motorcycle manufacturer Lifan on battery swapping. The joint venture, named Ruilan Auto, will develop solutions for battery swapping and build out a network of swapping stations in China. and will incorporate the swapping solutions Geely already has been developing during two years.

That large companies like these are partnering in battery swapping is significant for standardisation and geographical footprint of services. Nio is also working with CATL which has its own battery swapping solution.