NIO and CATL Sign Five-Year Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Co-Build Battery Swap Ecosystem

[Strategic Partnership] NIO and CATL have signed a five-year comprehensive and deepened cooperation agreement.

Core Initiative: Co-building a Battery Swap Ecosystem and Advancing Technical Synergy

On January 6, 2026, NIO and CATL signed a five-year strategic agreement in Hefei, focusing on three key areas: technology, ecosystem, and market. The two parties will jointly develop long-life batteries and battery swap-compatible technologies, prioritizing the deployment of new technologies.

Strategic Foundation: Dual-Network Integration Accelerates Standardization of Battery Swapping

NIO currently operates over 3,000 battery swap stations, while CATL’s “Choco-Swap” network has also reached over 1,000 stations. Going forward, the two networks will operate in parallel. NIO’s sub-brand Firefly will adopt CATL’s battery swap standards for its new models and plans to add 3,000 additional swap stations compatible with both companies’ batteries by 2026.

Industry Impact: Strengthening BaaS Model and Global Brand Collaboration

Both parties will deepen cooperation on the BaaS (Battery as a Service) model, co-develop a full-lifecycle battery management system, and enhance joint promotion efforts domestically and overseas to boost global influence. Previously, CATL has already invested in NIO Energy, and the two companies established two rounds of strategic collaboration in 2023 and 2024.