CATL, the world's largest battery maker, announced that its Chocolate battery swap network has exceeded 2,520 stations across 200 cities in China as of September 29. The milestone came with the opening of a new station in Lanzhou, and nearly 20,000 fresh CATL batteries have been deployed into the network, according to PCauto.
The network now covers all first- and second-tier cities, with over 80% of stations located in smaller cities and county-level markets. In more than a quarter of the cities where it operates, CATL claims the highest station density in the industry. Users can locate nearby stations via the Chocolate swap app, and each swap takes about 99 seconds, fully automated with no need to exit the vehicle.
Highway expansion plans
CATL is also pushing ahead with highway coverage. The company plans to build 1,000 highway swap stations between 2026 and 2027, forming an "11 vertical and 9 horizontal" national highway backbone network. This will select 20 major national trunk routes, aiming to place a pair of stations every 100 kilometers (62 miles). The goal is to interconnect city and highway stations, easing cross-city charging anxiety for EV drivers.
The Chocolate platform is an open, standardized swap system that supports multiple brands and models. Since the second quarter, CATL has been rolling out new batteries into the network, with nearly 20,000 units now in circulation. The company says high-density station placement addresses accessibility, while fresh batteries improve quality, turning the 99-second swap from a pure speed advantage into a combination of speed, stability, and battery health.
Digital battery management
All batteries in the network are managed through CATL's asset management system, with full lifecycle digital tracking. Using digital twin monitoring, each battery undergoes intelligent checks before deployment, ensuring stable health status.
During the National Day holiday (September 30 to October 7), CATL offered free swap sessions across its network, covering popular destinations including city landmarks, scenic spots, and major self-driving routes in the Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta, Hainan Island, and Sichuan-Chongqing region. The move aims to let more EV owners experience the speed and convenience of battery swap.
Battery swap is one of several charging solutions in China, alongside plug-in charging. CATL's Chocolate network is part of a broader push to standardize swap infrastructure, which could help address range anxiety for long-distance travel.
