Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely), China’s largest private automotive technology group, and NIO Holding (NIO) have signed a strategic partnership in the field of battery-switching technology in Hangzhou. The two sides will cooperate comprehensively for battery standards, battery swap technology, network expansion and fulfillment, model development, and battery management, writes NIO in a press release.

More and more EV drivers are using battery-swapping thanks to its advantages and a growing network of battery-swapping stations. The two parties will strengthen each other’s advantages using their existing businesses and cooperate strategically in the field of battery switching. As part of the agreement, and based on a model of “co-investment, co-construction, sharing and cooperation,” the two companies will collaborate on:

• develop two battery swap standards for private cars and commercial vehicles;
• accelerate the development and promotion of battery swap technology on the vehicle side;
• expand the operational scale of battery swapping.

NIO and the Tuk Tuk embattled in a race for the swappable battery

NIO will soon be putting into operation the first integrated station for charging and exchanging batteries in Norway.

Strategic partnership

The two sides will establish an efficient battery management structure, develop a unified battery-switching system, and develop vehicles compatible with each other’s battery-switching systems. In line with China’s development direction for new infrastructure and energy, the two parties will further standardize battery swap technology, increase the scale of the battery swap network, and accelerate the CO₂ transformation of the automotive industry.

“This strategic partnership will make battery swapping even more popular, make the experience of quality and easy battery swapping accessible to more users, and contribute to the continuous development of smart EVs. We will continue implementing a battery swap network for NIO users to improve the user experience. At the same time, we are working with partners to establish and launch a shared battery swap network,” stated William Li, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of NIO.

“Through this strategic cooperation on battery swapping, we will strengthen our cooperation on the entire battery swapping chain, accelerate the adoption of unified standards, expand the battery swapping and charging ecosystem, support the transformation to a low-carbon economy and high-quality development of the auto industry, and provide a better electric mobility experience for users,” said Eric Li, Founder and Chairman of Geely Holding.

NIO x Changan Auto

The new agreement marks the second company to join NIO’s Battery Swap technology, following the announced cooperation between Changan Auto and NIO on Nov. 21, 2023. Changan Automobile is one of China’s four largest auto groups, with national and global cumulative sales of 25.6 million cars as of October 2023.

The two sides will jointly formulate and facilitate interchangeable battery standards, build and share the battery swap network, develop interchangeable vehicles, and establish an efficient battery management system.

IO’s week – Batteries, batteries, batteries

In our Sunday newsletter, we, as editors, reflect on the past seven days. We do this on the initiative of our cartoonist Albert Jan Rasker.

NIO continues to expand services in Europe

Meanwhile, NIO is rapidly expanding services for its European users, with the company’s Power Swap Stations (PSS) present in several key markets. The network comprises 28 sites in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. NIO’s extensive European PSS network has already proven how longer car trips can be accomplished quickly and easily. Trips from Hamburg to Oslo and Amsterdam to Munich were completed over the entire distance via NIO’s strategically placed switching stations.

In May 2023, NIO announced the expansion of its third-party charging network to six new European countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. With this addition, NIO reached 500,000 charging points from major operators across 11 European countries for an even better charging experience for all European users.