Nio set a new single-day record for battery swap services on Oct. 1, the first day of China's National Day holiday, completing 183,469 swaps across its network, according to PCauto. That works out to one swap every 0.47 seconds on average, covering vehicles from Nio, Onvo and Firefly brands.
Highway stations lead the surge
Highway stations saw the heaviest traffic, reflecting the surge in long-distance holiday travel. The busiest was the Rizhao service area on the G15 Shenhai Expressway in Shandong province, which handled 211 swaps in a single day. It was followed by the Toubao service area on the G1523 Yongguan Expressway in Fujian with 200 swaps, and the Nanling service area on the G50 Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway in Anhui with 193.
Among urban stations, the Yisheng International station in Ulanqab and the New Century Park station in Qinhuangdao each recorded 146 swaps, tied for the top spot. The Qingchui Peak National Forest Park station in Chengde ranked third with 142 swaps.
As of now, Nio has built 9,515 charging and swapping stations nationwide, including 4,160 battery swap stations. The company has completed more than 126 million battery swaps in total, and its combined charging and swapping services have surpassed 220 million sessions.
Expanding highway network
Nio has deployed 1,073 battery swap stations along highways, forming a network described as "9 vertical, 11 horizontal, and 16 major city clusters" that connects more than 550 cities. According to the company, drivers can travel from any swap station to any provincial-level region in mainland China using only battery swaps along the way.
The record comes as China's new-energy vehicle fleet continues to grow, pushing up demand for charging and swapping during holiday travel. Nio's battery swap model, which lets drivers exchange a depleted pack for a charged one in minutes, has gained wider acceptance as the network has scaled up. For holiday travelers, the broader coverage offers a more reliable option for long-distance trips, the company said.
