At a user event in Quanzhou, Fujian province, Nio founder and CEO William Li confirmed that the company is still developing a 120-kWh battery pack. Built on Nio’s standard ternary lithium-ion architecture, the new pack is designed to fit within existing battery housings and will be compatible with every model in Nio’s lineup. Li did not provide a specific launch date for the larger pack.
When first unveiled in December 2023 alongside Nio’s ET9 flagship sedan, the 120-kWh pack was described as achieving a cell energy density of 292 Wh/kg and supporting 5C fast charging, which could add approximately 255 kilometers of range in five minutes on Nio’s high-power chargers. However, when the ET9 launched in December 2024, it was equipped with a 100-kWh battery pack offering 650 kilometers of CLTC range. Today, Nio’s main-brand vehicles are available with 75-kWh and 100-kWh packs in its battery-swap network.
By maintaining the same pack dimensions, Nio aims to introduce the 120-kWh option without altering vehicle designs or swap-station infrastructure. The automaker previously developed a 150-kWh semi-solid-state pack but halted large-scale deployment due to high production costs.
During the same event, Nio activated its first fifth-generation battery-swap stations in seven cities, bringing the total network in China to 4,000 stations. These new stations accommodate wheelbases of up to 3.5 meters, enabling full compatibility across Nio’s main brand, its Onvo sub-brand and its recently launched Firefly brand.
Firefly president Daniel Jin announced that the small-car brand’s sole model—currently equipped with a 42.1-kWh lithium iron phosphate pack and offering 420 kilometers of CLTC range—will receive an upgraded battery by year-end or before next year’s Lunar New Year. While Firefly is evaluating LiDAR-based driver-assistance systems, Jin said implementation is not expected in the short term.
Source: CnEVPost
