NIO, the leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, and CATL, the world’s largest producer of batteries for EVs, have announced a new collaboration aimed at developing longer-lasting batteries for future NIO EVs and battery swap stations.
CATL has been a major supplier of batteries to NIO and other leading automakers for several years, thanks to its advanced technology and commitment to innovation. The company has consistently pushed the boundaries of battery technology, offering safer, lighter, and more energy-dense cells.
Under the new partnership, NIO and CATL will work together to research and develop batteries with an extended lifespan, addressing a significant challenge in the EV industry. Currently, the batteries used in NEVs are covered by an eight-year warranty, which means that close to 20 million EV battery packs will lose coverage between 2025 and 2032.
NIO has already made progress in this area, with its industry-first battery lifecycle health OS, which monitors the temperature, intensity, and charge frequency of battery packs to collect data on the conditions that affect their lifespan. Using this data, NIO has been able to extend the lifespan of its swappable battery technology, retaining 80% of its capacity after 12 years of use.
CATL has also been working on innovative solutions to extend the service life of EV batteries, including self-repairing Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) film and lithium supplement. By combining their research and data, NIO and CATL aim to push these technologies forward to mass adoption, beginning with the automaker’s battery swap network.
The partnership will focus on developing long-life technology for swappable batteries, with CATL planning and developing battery systems with longer service lives for NIO’s upcoming models. The goal is to establish a long-term and win-win partnership, accelerating the development and adoption of such technologies and providing EV users with higher-quality battery swap services without the need to worry about high replacement costs or reduced vehicle residual value due to battery attenuation.
