- Nio recorded 146,649 battery swaps on February 15, setting a new all-time high.
- February 15 marked the first day of China’s 2026 Spring Festival holiday, which runs through February 23.
(A Nio battery swap station. Image credit: Nio)
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO, HKG: 9866) saw its battery swap service hit a new record as public travel peaked ahead of a major holiday in China.
On February 15, Nio provided 146,649 battery swaps in a single day, setting a new record, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker announced Monday.
February 15 marked the first day of China’s 2026 Spring Festival holiday, which runs through February 23. The Chinese New Year falls on February 17.
The Spring Festival holiday is the most significant holiday for Chinese residents, typically involving massive cross-city travel as large numbers of people working in major cities return to their hometowns to reunite with family.
On February 6, Nio reached its cumulative 100 millionth battery swap service, marking the battery swap model as a mainstream solution for recharging EVs in China, the company reiterated today.
To date, Nio operates 3,750 battery swap stations across China, including 1,022 along highways, according to its charging map data.
The company also operates 4,926 charging stations in China, providing 28,223 charging piles.
Nio opened its first battery swap station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018, and has continued expanding this infrastructure despite widespread initial skepticism.
Earlier this month, Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li said in an open letter that the company will continue enhancing the commercial operational capabilities of its charging and battery swap networks to lay a solid foundation for profitability.
In 2026, Nio plans to build 1,000 new battery swap stations.
The company is poised to commence large-scale construction of its latest fifth-generation battery swap stations, with sub-brand Firefly users soon to enjoy battery swap experiences.
The Firefly sub-brand launched its first model on April 19, 2025, offering users the option to purchase through the BaaS (Battery as a Service) program, though battery swapping is not yet supported.
Over the past 11 years, Nio has invested over RMB 18 billion ($2.6 billion) in charging and battery swap infrastructure, securing more than 2,100 patents, Li mentioned on February 9.
Over the past 11 years, Nio has invested over RMB 18 billion ($2.6 billion) in charging and battery swap infrastructure.
($1 = RMB 6.9087)
