On February 19th, the Chinese car brand Nio recorded a historic success in its network of stations for rapid replacement of car batteries. During the third day of the Lunar New Year celebration, the system managed to perform a total of 165,898 battery replacements in just one day. This result represents a new record for the company, and it was achieved in the midst of the most intense traffic period of the year, when millions of drivers in China return to their homes.
Statistics indicate exceptional network throughput – in a 24-hour period, an average of two battery replacements were performed across China every second. This wave of demand served as an annual load test for the transport infrastructure, and Nio’s system demonstrated a high level of precision and reliability. This strengthened the company’s claim that battery replacement, not just faster charging, is the key solution for long-distance travel.
Technology versus charging
While Western markets are primarily focused on developing DC fast charging infrastructure, Nio’s model offers an alternative that rivals traditional fueling at speed. The battery replacement process at a specialized station takes between three and five minutes, after which the driver continues the journey with a fully charged battery pack. Under ideal conditions, it is possible to add a range of several hundred kilometers in just 100 seconds, which is faster than filling the tank with gasoline.
In addition to speed itself, this approach also solves a number of practical challenges faced by drivers of electric vehicles. Users do not have to leave the vehicle during the process, thus avoiding exposure to adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow. Also, the system eliminates physical obstacles such as handling heavy cables, which is of particular importance for elderly or disabled drivers, while providing a higher level of personal safety. The system has therefore already proven to be an extremely effective tool in the fight against “reach anxiety” (range anxiety).
Overwhelming system
Experiences from China have shown that battery replacement has an extremely positive effect on the overall user experience of using electric vehicles, and this record is proof of the technology’s functionality on a large scale and at peak loads – so battery replacement could easily become an equal, and even superior, charging model compared to classic charging stations.
According to the latest data from February 2026, Nio operates a network of 3,750 battery exchange stations in China. Of these, more than a thousand stations are located on highways, which connect 550 cities and ensure flow on the main traffic routes. This month, the company announced plans to build an additional thousand cells this year, with a focus on introducing the fifth generation of this technology.