BAIC Group and CATL signed a strategic agreement in China on October 23, 2026, to develop battery swapping and related energy services. The cooperation covers vehicle and battery development, swapping-station construction, energy services and potential business models. The companies say they aim to build an ecosystem capable of serving one million vehicles.
A key element is the gradual addition of compatible models from BAIC Group’s various brands to CATL’s Choco-Swap network. The partners also intend to work on technical standardization and network interoperability, which could allow more vehicles to use shared stations rather than requiring separate infrastructure for each automaker. The announcement did not identify the models involved, priority markets or implementation schedule.
BAIC plans to make parts of its dealer network available for CATL to assess as possible station locations. The companies will also consider jointly building and operating facilities, linking BAIC’s retail footprint with battery-swapping services. They have not disclosed how many stations may be built, the investment required or how costs and operating duties would be divided. Battery swapping replaces a depleted pack with a charged one at a dedicated station, but the agreement provides no project-specific timing or rollout figures.