Nio Plans to Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Across China

Nio, a Chinese electric car company, plans to install battery charging stations in every one of China's 2,844 counties by June 2025. They aim to expand battery swap stations to over 2,300 counties by the end of 2025, with the remainder targeted for 2026.

Battery swapping, a service Nio offers, replaces depleted batteries with charged ones in about three minutes. This addresses consumer concerns about electric car range and charging time. Nio's charging infrastructure is not exclusive; over 200 car brands use its stations, and 80% of the electricity provided goes to non-Nio vehicles.

Nio has already installed over 23,000 charging stations and 2,480 battery swap stations, completing more than 51 million swaps. Battery swaps accounted for over half the electricity used by Nio drivers in July.

The company's Nio Power business received a 1.5 billion yuan investment earlier this year, led by a Wuhan city-linked fund. This underscores the growing importance of power services in Nio's operations.

China's government supports a nationwide battery charging network to boost the domestic electric car industry. The country aims to have fast-charging stations in at least 60% of highway service areas. As of 2023, China had 8.6 million battery charging stations, a 65% increase from the previous year.