NIO reveals next-gen battery swap station, 640 kW supercharger

At the recently held NIO Day 2023 event in China, NIO revealed its latest, 4th-generation EV battery swapping station, a high-power supercharger, and charging installation targets for 2024. 

The Chinese automaker is planning to add about 1,000 battery swapping stations and 20,000 charging piles in the country next year. NIO successfully achieved its 2023 year target of adding 1,000 stations before the end of the year already, taking the cumulative number of swap stations under its fold to 2,305.  

The latest swap station features 23 battery bays, up from 21 in the current-generation battery swap stations. The bays will be compatible with multi-size battery packs and support multi-brand shared battery swap services, according to the company, as reported by CNEVPOST. 

These stations can 480 battery services per day, with a 22 percent reduction in time-per-service. They also feature four Nvidia Orin X chips with six ultra-wide angle LiDARs, boasting an overall computing power of 1,016 Tops, enabling easier handling and enhancing user experience, the report added.

On the other hand, NIO's latest, 4th-gen supercharger boasts peak power of up to 640 kW, with a max output of 765 A and 1,000 V. Claimed as the lightest in its class (2.4 kgs), the charger features liquid-cooled charging gun cable and offers intelligent distribution of charging power and maximizes charging efficiency, according to the company.

The company's flagship charger so far was a 500 kW charging pile unveiled last year. The latest system will be ready for deployment by April next year.

It is to be noted that NIO is operating both its own dedicated swap stations and a shared network with partners in China. Just last month, the automaker announced partnerships with Changan Automobile and Geely Holding to develop battery swap network and new electric car models featuring swappable batteries.

Also, NIO has received a $2.2 billion strategic equity investment from CYVN, an investment vehicle based in Abu Dhabi, last week. This is a continuation of CYVN's initial equity investment worth $738.5 million previously announced in July this year.