Quick Takeaways
- Nio battery swap service reached a record 146,649 swaps in one day during China?s Spring Festival travel rush.
- The company plans to expand its battery swap stations network with 1,000 new sites in 2026.
Nio battery swap service achieved a new milestone as travel demand surged across China during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday. The electric vehicle manufacturer recorded 146,649 battery swaps on February 15, marking the highest single-day total in its history. The surge coincided with the first day of the nationwide holiday period, when millions of residents travel across cities to reunite with their families. The record reinforces the growing importance of battery swap stations in supporting large-scale EV adoption and strengthening EV charging infrastructure during peak mobility cycles.
On February 15, the company completed 146,649 battery swaps in a single day, establishing a new operational benchmark. The date marked the beginning of China?s 2026 Spring Festival holiday, which runs through February 23, with the Chinese New Year falling on February 17.
The Spring Festival travel period is widely regarded as the largest annual human migration event, placing enormous pressure on transportation networks. Against this backdrop, Nio battery swap service demonstrated its ability to manage heavy usage volumes efficiently.
Earlier in the month, on February 6, the company reached its cumulative 100 millionth battery swap service, underlining how battery swapping has evolved into a mainstream EV charging infrastructure solution within the Chinese market.
Network scale has been central to the rapid growth of Nio battery swap service. To date, the company operates 3,750 battery swap stations nationwide, including 1,022 located along major highways.
In addition to battery swap stations, the company manages 4,926 charging stations, offering 28,223 charging piles. This combined EV charging infrastructure network strengthens route coverage for long-distance Spring Festival travel and daily commuting alike.
Nio opened its first battery swap station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018. Despite early skepticism surrounding the commercial viability of battery swapping, the company continued expanding its infrastructure footprint.
Over the past 11 years, the company has invested more than RMB 18 billion in charging and battery swap infrastructure. According to founder, chairman, and CEO William Li, the investment has resulted in more than 2,100 patents, reinforcing technological leadership in battery swap stations development.
Looking ahead, Nio battery swap service is set for further expansion. The company plans to build 1,000 new battery swap stations in 2026, accelerating network density and improving accessibility for passenger car users.
Large-scale construction of fifth-generation battery swap stations is expected to begin soon. These next-generation facilities are designed to enhance operational efficiency and user experience.
The Firefly sub-brand launched its first model on April 19, 2025. Customers can purchase vehicles through the BaaS program, though battery swapping is not yet supported for Firefly models. Future integration of the Firefly sub-brand into the Nio battery swap service network is expected to broaden adoption and reinforce the company?s long-term infrastructure strategy.
As Spring Festival travel volumes continue to test transportation capacity each year, the latest record highlights how Nio battery swap service has become a critical pillar of China?s evolving EV charging infrastructure landscape.
Nio Battery Swap Service Sets New Single-Day Record
On February 15, the company completed 146,649 battery swaps in a single day, establishing a new operational benchmark. The date marked the beginning of China?s 2026 Spring Festival holiday, which runs through February 23, with the Chinese New Year falling on February 17.
The Spring Festival travel period is widely regarded as the largest annual human migration event, placing enormous pressure on transportation networks. Against this backdrop, Nio battery swap service demonstrated its ability to manage heavy usage volumes efficiently.
Earlier in the month, on February 6, the company reached its cumulative 100 millionth battery swap service, underlining how battery swapping has evolved into a mainstream EV charging infrastructure solution within the Chinese market.
Expanding Battery Swap Stations Across China
Network scale has been central to the rapid growth of Nio battery swap service. To date, the company operates 3,750 battery swap stations nationwide, including 1,022 located along major highways.
In addition to battery swap stations, the company manages 4,926 charging stations, offering 28,223 charging piles. This combined EV charging infrastructure network strengthens route coverage for long-distance Spring Festival travel and daily commuting alike.
Nio opened its first battery swap station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018. Despite early skepticism surrounding the commercial viability of battery swapping, the company continued expanding its infrastructure footprint.
Investment and Patent Portfolio
Over the past 11 years, the company has invested more than RMB 18 billion in charging and battery swap infrastructure. According to founder, chairman, and CEO William Li, the investment has resulted in more than 2,100 patents, reinforcing technological leadership in battery swap stations development.
2026 Growth Strategy and Firefly Sub-Brand Integration
Looking ahead, Nio battery swap service is set for further expansion. The company plans to build 1,000 new battery swap stations in 2026, accelerating network density and improving accessibility for passenger car users.
Large-scale construction of fifth-generation battery swap stations is expected to begin soon. These next-generation facilities are designed to enhance operational efficiency and user experience.
Firefly Sub-Brand and BaaS Model
The Firefly sub-brand launched its first model on April 19, 2025. Customers can purchase vehicles through the BaaS program, though battery swapping is not yet supported for Firefly models. Future integration of the Firefly sub-brand into the Nio battery swap service network is expected to broaden adoption and reinforce the company?s long-term infrastructure strategy.
As Spring Festival travel volumes continue to test transportation capacity each year, the latest record highlights how Nio battery swap service has become a critical pillar of China?s evolving EV charging infrastructure landscape.
Company Press Release
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