EV automaker NIO continues to be the only passenger vehicle manufacturer to demonstrate the true potential of battery swap stations. Earlier today, the company live streamed its 30 millionth battery swap, hitting a milestone for the nascent technology, but also providing further evidence of how quickly NIO’s battery swap process is catching on amongst EV drivers.
NIO ($NIO) remains a veteran EV automaker and one of the leading automotive technology brands in China. In addition to delivering a lineup of some of the most impressive electric vehicles on the planet, NIO has introduced adjacent technologies to the segment such as a mobile phone and battery swap stations.
Battery swaps were by no means invented by NIO, but the Chinese automaker has been the most prominent passenger vehicle developer in embracing the technology and has spent over half a decade trying to prove its benefits.
Automakers like Tesla explored battery swaps early on before quickly abandoning it due to its need for resources, grid dependency, and physical footprints, while other automakers in China and Europe continue to test the waters… but to a much smaller extent.
To date, battery swaps have found great success in the micromobilty segment around the world and are starting to pop up in the US to support rideshare EVs. During that time however, NIO has continued to grow and develop its network of battery swap stations, despite all the naysayers along the way.
As the automaker has expanded out of China and into Europe the past two years, it has stuck with its plan to include battery leases supported by swap station installations, while also considering licensing the technology to others on the continent.
To date, NIO has over 1,900 swap stations operating in China and Europe, offering a unique alternative to BEVs being sold by its competitors. While the technology may have seemed like more trouble than it was worth at first, NIO’s progress tells an entirely different tale that could soon enable swaps as a genuine option for global EV consumers when they order their next vehicle.