Nio and CATL have entered into a five-year comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening their collaboration on long-life batteries and expanding the battery swap network. The agreement was signed in Hefei, Anhui province, with CATL founder and CEO Robin Zeng and Nio founder and CEO William Li in attendance.
Under the new framework, the partners will advance joint research and development on long-life battery chemistries and battery swap compatibility. Technical efforts will focus on multi-technology routes and accelerating the implementation of new innovations. In parallel, both companies will work on standardizing battery swap protocols, sharing network resources, and building an open, shared ecosystem for Battery as a Service (BaaS) and related business models.
The agreement also covers coordinated market expansion, with Nio and CATL planning joint branding and promotional activities both in China and internationally. By leveraging each other’s strengths, they aim to enhance global market presence and capture a larger share of the growing new energy vehicle sector. The collaboration supports Hefei’s ambition to become a world-class new energy vehicle industrial hub.
This renewed partnership comes as Nio continues to rely primarily on CATL for battery supply. In late December, local media reported that Nio had suspended battery supply cooperation with another supplier for its Onvo L60 model due to insufficient order volumes, and that some 100-kWh modules previously sourced from a third vendor have now transitioned to CATL.
Nio and CATL have a longstanding relationship. The automaker originally depended solely on CATL batteries during its early years and later diversified its supply base. In recent months, the two companies agreed on long-life battery development in March 2024 and undertook a joint effort in March 2025 to build what is expected to be the world’s largest battery swap network.
Earlier today, Nio celebrated the production of its one-millionth vehicle at its F2 facility in Hefei, underscoring the pace of its growth and the importance of reliable, scalable battery solutions.
Source: CNEV Post
