Accelerating Development of China’s Electric Vehicle Battery Swap Industry

The electric vehicle battery swapping industry in China is on the brink of large-scale development. A combination of improved policy frameworks, technological innovations, and deepened regional practices is driving this sector’s transition from a supportive role in energy supply to becoming a core component of an energy revolution.

Policy Framework and Standards

In 2023, the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Building a High-Quality Charging Infrastructure System,” which sets a goal to achieve a “widely covered and reasonably structured charging and battery swapping network” by 2030. This provides a top-level design for the standardized development of battery swapping models. Subsequently, various regions have released policies to promote battery swapping, with some even outlining plans for the construction of swapping stations. Recently, Shanxi province introduced the country’s first provincial-level standard for the construction of chassis-based battery swapping stations, ensuring a framework for regulated development. Beijing also released the “Operational Management Specifications for Electric Vehicle Battery Swapping Stations,” which establishes an industry standard system covering safety management, service standards, and data supervision. These policies and standards provide essential support for the standardized development of the battery swapping industry.

From Technological Innovation to Ecosystem Building

Leading companies are driving industry transformation through technological innovation and model breakthroughs. For instance, NIO’s 4.0 battery swapping station employs fully automated robotic arms, reducing the swapping time to just 3 minutes while also supporting real-time battery health monitoring. CATL has launched the “Chocolate Battery Swapping Block” using Cell to Pack (CTP) technology, which increases battery pack energy density by 15%. Its “separation of vehicle and battery” business model reduces car purchase costs by 30% and implements full lifecycle management of battery assets through a “battery bank.” Thanks to these corporate advancements, local battery swapping ecosystems are also being developed. For example, the Chengdu Eastern New Area is planning a cluster of 16 charging and swapping stations, establishing a 15-minute battery swapping service radius. The first dedicated taxi battery swapping station in Handan has significantly reduced the daily energy replenishment time for operational vehicles to just 3 minutes.

Emerging Trends in Battery Swapping

The battery swapping model is anticipated to exhibit three major trends:

• Technological Integration: The deep integration of technologies such as solar storage, V2G (vehicle-to-grid), and intelligent microgrids will transform battery swapping stations from mere energy supply facilities into energy service nodes.
• Scenario Expansion: The model will extend from commercial vehicles to passenger cars and move from urban areas to counties. Regions like Dehong in Yunnan and Gaozhou in Guangdong are developing county-level battery swapping networks, tapping into the potential of the lower-tier market.
• Ecological Restructuring: Cross-sector collaborations among automakers, battery companies, grid operators, and energy service providers will create a new industrial ecosystem characterized by collaboration between vehicles, stations, networks, and cloud services.

First Taxi Battery Swapping Station in Handan Officially Operates

On May 7, 2025, Handan, Hebei province, officially launched its first battery swapping station dedicated to taxis. This station, built with an investment of over 3 million yuan by Newao Company, is located at the west entrance of Zhao Yuan Park in the Fuxing District, and has opened for full service after two months of intensive construction. The station can service over 100 vehicles simultaneously, with a charging cost model based on kilometers traveled, charging only 0.3 yuan per kilometer and completing a battery swap in just 3 minutes.

Beijing Issues Operational Management Specifications for Battery Swapping Stations

On May 6, the Beijing Municipal Market Supervision Administration announced a notice soliciting opinions on the “Operational Management Specifications for Electric Vehicle Battery Swapping Stations.” The document specifies that the battery swapping time for electric passenger vehicles should not exceed 4 minutes, while that for electric commercial vehicles should not exceed 5 minutes. Additionally, the swapping stations must be equipped with a system to receive alarms for thermal runaway in batteries, with safety measures in place, including halting energy supply and isolating affected batteries. The transfer and isolation of batteries should be completed within 5 minutes after receiving a thermal runaway warning, ensuring that no other battery packs are affected during this process.

Chengdu Eastern New Area Plans 16 Charging and Swapping Stations

On May 1, media reports indicated that the Chengdu Eastern New Area Airport New City Investment Co., Ltd. plans to construct 14 charging stations and 2 battery swapping stations, with a total of 470 charging terminals in the region over the next two years. These facilities are expected to be operational by 2026, further enhancing public service support.

Yunnan Dehong’s First Integrated Energy Station Officially Opens

On April 30, the first integrated energy station in Dehong, Yunnan, which combines photovoltaic power generation, energy storage, charging, and battery swapping, officially commenced operations. The station features 32 charging spaces and incorporates V2G vehicle-grid interaction technology. Additionally, with the introduction of NIO’s 4.0 battery swapping station, the facility can service 50 vehicles daily.

NIO’s Battery Swapping Network Fully Covers Guangdong Province

On April 29, with the opening of battery swapping stations in Zhanjiang’s Chikan District and Xuwen County, NIO announced it has achieved its strategic goal of “county-wide battery swapping access” in Guangdong Province. As a result, all 122 county-level administrative regions in the province are now equipped with NIO battery swapping stations, providing local users with a more convenient energy replenishment experience.

FAW Jiefang Signs Agreement for 1,000 Battery Swapping Heavy-duty Trucks

On April 15, under the witness of the Times Qiji, FAW Jiefang Automotive Sales Company and Zhongyi Times (Jiangxi) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. officially signed an agreement for the procurement of 1,000 battery swapping heavy-duty trucks in Yichun, Jiangxi. The first batch is expected to be delivered by the end of June this year and will serve the transportation of fly ash and coal for power plants in Jiangxi Province.

First Provincial Standard for Chassis-Based Battery Swapping Stations Released

Recently, the Shanxi Provincial Market Supervision Administration officially released the “Construction Guidelines for Pure Electric Chassis-Based Battery Swapping Stations” (DB14/T 3350-2025), marking the first provincial standard for the construction of chassis-based battery swapping stations in the country. This standard will take effect on July 10, 2025, symbolizing a milestone in the standardized development of the battery swapping industry for new energy heavy-duty trucks in China.