BAIC, CATL Expand Battery Swap Network Partnership

October 23, 2026

E-mobility, Industry & Market

BAIC will connect compatible vehicles across several brands to CATL's Choco battery swap network and open its dealership footprint for station deployment, as the partners target a system serving vehicles at million-unit scale.

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Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) announced an expanded battery swap partnership on October 22, 2026. The agreement covers vehicle and battery development, swap station construction, battery energy services and business model development.

BAIC will connect compatible vehicles across multiple brands to CATL’s Choco battery swap network. The companies also plan to develop public energy replenishment infrastructure across China.

BAIC will open its dealership network to support the deployment of swap stations around dealer locations. The companies will work with dealers to explore joint station development and operation. They also plan to consolidate battery swap assets under specialized management and divide operational responsibilities to improve efficiency.

The partners intend to promote unified battery swap standards and shared, interoperable networks. Their stated goal is to establish what BAIC described as China’s first mature battery swap ecosystem serving vehicles at million-unit scale. The statement did not provide a timeline, identify additional compatible models or specify how many stations would be constructed.

The expanded agreement builds on a partnership signed in June 2024 covering swap-compatible vehicles, battery block development and battery data management. BAIC’s Arcfox brand launched the Beta S3 on May 22 this year, including a battery swap version based on CATL’s Choco-SEB solution and offered with a battery rental option.

A battery swap version of the Arcfox Beta T1 also appeared in a vehicle filing catalog published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in August. The filing indicated that the vehicle and battery could be sold separately.

CATL had built 2,520 battery swap stations across 200 Chinese cities as of September 29. The company has a long-term goal of expanding the network to 30,000 stations and plans to build 1,000 highway swap stations during 2026 and 2027.

CATL swap network · current plans

CATL Targets 30,000 Stations as BAIC Deepens Swap Partnership

BAIC will add multi-brand compatible models and dealership sites, broadening CATL’s Choco swap network and potential recurring-service base.

30,000Long-term station goalCATL’s network goal; no timeline was provided.

Stations

Long-term network goalNo timeline provided30,000

Built network200 cities as of September 292,520

Highway build planPlanned for 2026 and 20271,000

Vehicle ecosystemmillion levelBAIC and CATL’s goal for vehicles served.

Existing pactJune 2024Earlier deal covered swap-compatible vehicles, battery blocks and data.

Arcfox rolloutMay 22Beta S3 launched; Beta T1 entered an MIIT catalog in August.

Newcool entryOctober 19Huawei’s Newcool joined the Choco swap ecosystem.

All station figures are neutral because the source gives milestones and targets, not period-on-period changes.

Scale Supports EconomicsMore compatible models and dealer-backed sites could expand CATL’s user base, helping battery rentals and energy services support station construction and operating costs.

CATL Targets 30,000 Stations as BAIC Deepens Swap Partnership · BatteryTech Network

Source: CnEVPost