Aistaland, the premium EV brand jointly developed by GAC and Huawei, is reportedly preparing models compatible with CATL’s Choco battery-swap network. Lanjinger, citing a person familiar with the matter, said Aistaland could be the first brand to bring a vehicle into the network. The report gave no model count, launch date or battery specifications, and the companies have not confirmed which partner will launch first.
The report follows an October 19 agreement in which Huawei’s Newcool automotive unit, CATL and CATL’s battery-swap operator CAES agreed to cooperate. Newcool is to work with partners to adapt vehicles using Huawei Qiankun intelligent-vehicle technology for the Choco network. Other media reports have named Dongfeng-Huawei brand Epicland as a possible first participant, while another account put an initial group of five models on track for 2027. The reports differ, and the agreement itself did not identify specific vehicles or timing.
Aistaland has so far launched the GT7 shooting brake, which went on sale June 26, and the CATL-battery-equipped GX7 extended-range SUV, launched September 23. GAC-reported deliveries were 2,658 in July, 1,100 in August and 1,375 in September. Connecting to CATL’s existing network could give the brand access to swap infrastructure without building its own. CATL reported 2,520 stations in 200 Chinese cities as of September 29 and has a long-term goal of 30,000; it also plans 1,000 highway stations in 2026–27.