Huawei-Dongfeng's Epicland studies battery swapping for its next model as new brands eye shared swap networks

Epicland, the brand Dongfeng Motor and Huawei are jointly developing, is weighing a battery-swap version of its second model, according to a 21jingji report citing multiple independent sources. The project is still in early research with no final decision made, and the report left open the model's name, powertrain, launch timing, and whether the brand would join an existing swap network or build its own.

A move into swapping would give Epicland a selling point that other Huawei-partnered models lack, since the spread of Huawei's driver-assistance and cockpit technology across partner brands is making it harder to stand out on smart features alone. The brand opened pre-sales of its first model, the X9 full-size six-seat extended-range SUV, on August 18 at 299,800–379,800 yuan, with an official launch set for the third quarter and three more models planned for 2027.

The approach is catching on among other newcomers: LatePost reported this week that Aiva, under Seres-backed Saidou Technology, is negotiating with CATL over access to the battery maker's swap network for its ME7, due to debut in 2026. CATL, one of Epicland's main battery suppliers, had 2,000 Choco swap stations across 180 Chinese cities as of June 30 and targets more than 3,000 by year-end, and Dongfeng has already partnered with it on swap ecosystems in Wuhan and Xiangyang — ties that could ease Epicland's entry. The trade-offs remain real, though: adopting a third-party standard means engineering vehicles around specified packs, chassis interfaces and communication protocols, while a proprietary network would demand heavy upfront investment and enough volume and swap frequency to break even.