Nio Fifth-Generation Battery Swap Station to Launch as China Reaches 4,000 Swap Stations

Nio Inc will officially begin operating its first fifth-generation battery swap station on August 7 in Quanzhou, Fujian province. The facility also marks the company's 4,000th battery swap station in China, representing another milestone in the expansion of its energy infrastructure. According to Ma Lin, vice president of branding and communications, the new station will support battery swapping for all three company brands—Nio, Onvo and Firefly—bringing Firefly into the swap ecosystem for the first time.

Fifth-Generation Platform Expands Vehicle Compatibility

The fifth-generation battery swap station introduces a redesigned underlying architecture capable of accommodating vehicles with significantly different wheelbases. This engineering upgrade enables large models such as the 5.3-meter ES9 sport utility vehicle and the compact Firefly EV, measuring 4.003 meters in length, to use the same battery swap mechanism. Previous-generation stations could not support Firefly vehicles because their shorter wheelbase was incompatible with the existing platform.

Three Brands Now Share One Swap Network

With the rollout of the new generation of swap stations, Nio Inc will achieve its objective of creating a unified battery swap network across its Nio, Onvo and Firefly brands. Firefly vehicles entered internal testing at pioneer fifth-generation stations in late June across Shanghai, Beijing, Hefei, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Kunshan. The company previously confirmed that large-scale deployment of the upgraded stations would begin during the third quarter.

China Battery Swap Infrastructure Snapshot

As of August 3, the company had continued expanding its energy infrastructure throughout China, providing an extensive nationwide charging and battery swap network.

Nio Power Infrastructure as of August 3

Expansion Strategy Continues Through Partnerships

Nio Inc has maintained its goal of adding more than 1,000 battery swap stations during 2026. The company has moderated its own construction pace over the past two years as part of capital expenditure management, making strategic partnerships increasingly important to future expansion. It added 679 swap stations during 2024 and 681 during 2025. In June, Nio Power also signed an agreement with Zhongan Energy to jointly develop 500 battery swap stations within one year.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Nio's fifth-generation battery swap station begin operations?
Nio's first fifth-generation battery swap station will begin operations on August 7 in Quanzhou, Fujian province. The facility also becomes the company's 4,000th battery swap station in China and introduces support for all three of its vehicle brands. The upgraded architecture enables vehicles with significantly different wheelbases to share the same battery swap mechanism while supporting the broader rollout of the company's next-generation battery swapping network.

What makes the fifth-generation battery swap station different?
The fifth-generation station features a rebuilt underlying architecture that supports a wider range of vehicle wheelbases. This allows large vehicles such as the ES9 and compact Firefly models to use the same swapping mechanism. The upgrade also enables Firefly vehicles to join the shared battery swap network alongside Nio and Onvo models, supporting the company's long-term strategy of a unified energy ecosystem across all three brands.