Nio Battery Swaps Surpass 130 Million as Network Expands

Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) has surpassed 130 million cumulative battery swaps as adoption of its battery replenishment network continues to grow in China. The milestone was reached at 6:53:21 pm Beijing Time on November 4, 2026, just 88 days after the company crossed 120 million swaps on August 7. During this period, the network averaged more than 110,000 battery swaps daily, with a vehicle from Nio, Onvo or Firefly completing a swap and departing a station approximately every 0.77 seconds, according to the company.

As of November 3, Nio operated 4,236 battery swap stations across China, an increase of 230 from the 4,006 stations available on August 7. Its infrastructure also included 5,556 charging stations equipped with 32,261 charging piles. Together, these facilities brought the company's combined charging and battery swap station count to 9,792. Nio described its charging and swapping infrastructure footprint as the largest in the industry, highlighting the scale of its investment in electric vehicle replenishment facilities.

The company's network expansion has also improved accessibility for vehicle owners. Nio reported that 84.5% of its users had at least one battery swap station within 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of their home or workplace, compared with 80.1% on August 7. Its highway infrastructure comprised 1,077 battery swap stations connecting 550 cities, supported by nine north-south routes, 11 east-west routes and 16 major urban clusters. This network is designed to provide battery swapping access across major transportation corridors.

Nio has additionally expanded its charging and swapping coverage along scenic driving routes. The company had equipped 92 such routes with replenishment facilities and plans to increase the number to 100 by the end of 2026. The expansion is intended to improve infrastructure availability for leisure travel and provide electric vehicle users with additional opportunities to replenish their vehicles beyond major cities and highway networks.

The latest milestone follows the introduction of Nio's fifth-generation battery swap stations, with the first facilities entering service on August 7. Initially launched across seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the new generation also extended battery swapping access to the company's Firefly sub-brand for the first time. The facilities use a swapping platform designed to accommodate different wheelbases, enabling vehicles from Nio, Onvo and Firefly to use the same infrastructure.

According to Nio, cumulative electricity delivered through battery swapping reached 6.89 billion kWh at the 130 million swap milestone. The company also estimates that its battery swapping service has saved users approximately 110 million hours compared with conventional charging. These figures highlight the cumulative utilization of its replenishment network and the operational benefits that the company associates with its battery swapping model.

Nio opened its first battery swap station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018, beginning the development of its dedicated battery replenishment network. The company completed its 100 millionth battery swap on February 6, 2026, after 2,819 days of service since the first station opened. Reaching 130 million cumulative swaps represents another milestone in the development of its infrastructure and reflects the continued utilization of the network across its vehicle brands.

The company considers its expanding charging and battery swapping infrastructure an important component of its product competitiveness. On Tuesday, Nio said the network had achieved economies of scale and become an important contributor to vehicle sales growth. Its strategy therefore extends beyond establishing replenishment facilities, positioning the infrastructure network as part of its broader business proposition for electric vehicle customers.

Industry Impact & Outlook

Nio's achievement demonstrates the growing operational scale of battery swapping as an alternative electric vehicle replenishment model. The integration of Nio, Onvo and Firefly vehicles into a shared fifth-generation swapping platform also highlights the potential advantages of infrastructure standardization across multiple vehicle brands. With 4,236 swap stations, expanding highway coverage and plans to equip 100 scenic driving routes by the end of 2026, the company is continuing to extend its infrastructure reach. Nio's view that the network has achieved economies of scale and supports vehicle sales growth further establishes charging and battery swapping as strategic elements of its business model.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many cumulative battery swaps has Nio completed?
Nio surpassed 130 million cumulative battery swaps on November 4, 2026, reaching the milestone at 6:53:21 pm Beijing Time. The achievement came 88 days after the company crossed 120 million swaps on August 7. During those 88 days, its network averaged more than 110,000 battery swaps per day. Nio reported that a vehicle from its three brands completed a battery swap and departed a station approximately every 0.77 seconds on average.

2. How many battery swap and charging stations does Nio operate in China?
As of November 3, 2026, Nio operated 4,236 battery swap stations and 5,556 charging stations across China. Its charging infrastructure included 32,261 charging piles, bringing the combined number of charging and battery swap stations to 9,792. The battery swap station count represented an increase of 230 facilities compared with August 7. Nio described its combined charging and swapping infrastructure footprint as the largest in the industry.

3. Which vehicle brands can use Nio's fifth-generation battery swap stations?
Nio's fifth-generation battery swap stations support vehicles from Nio, Onvo and Firefly through a shared swapping platform. The system accommodates different wheelbases, allowing vehicles from all three brands to use the same facilities. The first fifth-generation stations entered service on August 7, 2026, across seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Their introduction also provided Firefly vehicles with access to Nio's battery swapping network for the first time.

4. How extensive is Nio's battery swapping network along highways?
Nio's highway battery swapping network comprised 1,077 stations connecting 550 cities as of the reported milestone. The infrastructure covered nine north-south routes, 11 east-west routes and 16 major urban clusters. The company also equipped 92 scenic driving routes with charging and swapping facilities, with plans to increase that number to 100 by the end of 2026. These facilities extend replenishment coverage across major travel corridors and leisure driving destinations.

5. How much electricity has Nio delivered through battery swapping?
Nio reported that cumulative electricity delivered through battery swapping reached 6.89 billion kWh when the company surpassed 130 million swaps. It also estimated that the service had saved users approximately 110 million hours compared with charging. These figures represent the company's reported cumulative electricity delivery and estimated time savings. They highlight the scale of electricity supplied through its battery replenishment infrastructure since the company began operating its first battery swap station.

6. When did Nio open its first battery swap station?
Nio opened its first battery swap station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018, marking the beginning of its battery swapping infrastructure development. The company completed its 100 millionth swap on February 6, 2026, after 2,819 days of service. It subsequently reached 120 million cumulative swaps on August 7 and surpassed 130 million on November 4, 2026. Nio considers the resulting infrastructure network an important part of its product competitiveness and vehicle sales growth strategy.