BAIC Group and battery maker CATL signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing on October 22, 2026, with the aim of putting one million battery-swapping electric vehicles on the road. Their plans cover vehicle development, battery supply, swapping infrastructure, battery-bank initiatives and business models intended to support wider adoption and standardisation.
BAIC intends to bring models from several of its brands into CATL’s Chocolate battery-swapping ecosystem. It will also make dealership network resources available to help roll out swap stations, while the partners explore ways to operate energy-replenishment services together. The agreement was signed by BAIC vice general manager Zhang Guofu and CATL market-system co-president Yang Jun; senior leaders from both companies attended.
CATL says it has built 2,520 battery-swapping stations. Compatible vehicles include the BAIC Arcfox S3 and EU8, as well as models from GAC Aion, Changan, Hongqi and other manufacturers. The article notes that the compatible fleet remains relatively small compared with Nio’s network, although some locations are busy: during China’s 2026 National Day holiday, a station in Chongqing handled 311 swaps in one day, against 211 at Nio’s busiest station.
A BAIC T1 battery-swapping version had also appeared in a regulatory filing. The article describes it as a compact car in the same class as the Geely Xingyuan, but gives no launch timing or price.