Summary
Nio expands its EV infrastructure network on Aug 7 with its 4,000th swap station. The new 5th-gen site adds support for the Firefly. The post Nio 4,000th battery swap station launches Aug 7 in China, 5th-gen now supporting Firefly appeared first on CarNewsChi…
Nio is set to launch its 4,000th battery swap station in China on August 7. Nio’s vice CEO, Ma Lin, revealed that the station, to be launched in Quanzhou in Fujian province, will also be the firm’s first 5th-gen station to go online. It will support Nio and Onvo vehicles, as well as the Firefly hatchback.
What’s new with the 5th-gen stations
Nio’s 5th-gen stations now introduce long-awaited support for the Firefly. First launched in 2025, the hatchback EV was marketed with support for battery swapping, but Nio’s swap stations at the time only supported larger vehicles under the Nio and Onvo range.
On the technical side, Sina Auto reports that the latest-gen stations can carry out a swap in 1 minute and 48 seconds, an improvement of 36 seconds over the 4th-gen stations. The new stations can now carry 28 battery packs, up from 21 in the 4th generation.
Nio claims that these changes will enable its battery-swapping network to handle China’s peak travel seasons better, such as May’s Golden Week and October’s National Holidays. The 5th-gen stations can handle up to 500 swaps a day, an improvement of 20% over the 4th-gen stations.
Nio’s battery swap network
The start-up is known for its battery-swapping EVs and remains China’s only NEV maker to rely solely on the tech. NIO markets its swap network under the “Nio Power” brand, and often combines DC fast chargers with its swap stations, forming what it calls a “smart power service solution”.
Nio claims its EV battery-swapping network is the largest in the world, and the “4,000” figure likely includes stations in China and worldwide.
As of writing, Nio’s interactive battery swapping map shows that 3,994 stations are currently up and running. It has also performed nearly 120 million battery swaps since 2018.
It also allows the start-up to offer its cars under a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model, selling the standalone vehicle at a lower price, and effectively “leasing” the battery to consumers as a subscription service.
The firm also claims to be a battery-swapping pioneer, and says that its self-developed EV tech and its cars, which are already built around swapping tech, are what set Nio apart from the start-ups that failed before.
While the swapping process is largely automated, drivers and passengers can remain inside the cabin. The car manoeuvres itself into the swap station, with no human input required. The entire swap takes around 3 to 5 minutes, and most stations in China are unmanned.
When Nio first launched, the first batch of ES8 buyers received free lifetime swapping. Current Nio owners are charged for energy used between packs, with the final amount calculated based on the swap station’s electricity pricing.
More on Nio
According to China EV DataTracker, Nio delivered 21,872 units domestically in June 2026. Onvo managed 11,739 in the same month, while Firefly moved 6,914 units. All three brands are seeing year-on-year monthly sales growth, from Nio’s 46.5% to Onvo and Firefly’s 70 to 80%.
Nio’s network, however, is under siege from a barrage of local rivals focused on ever-increasing DC charging speeds. BYD’s Flash Charging promises a full charge in 9 minutes, with Geely and FAW following closely behind.
As for battery swapping in China, Nio’s no longer the only show in town either. Battery giant CATL is rolling out its own network based on the Choco-SEB platform, with several Chinese automakers already signed up. It has already built more than 700 stations to date.
The 5th-gen stations still offer unparalleled “recharge” speeds, but it remains to be seen whether Nio’s headline tech can keep them ahead of its domestic rivals.
Source: Nio – Ma Lin, Sina Auto
