Beijing (ZXZC)- China’s battery player CATL has inked a cooperation agreement with the provincial government of Guizhou Province to build a battery-swapping network in its capital, Guiyang.

Photo credit: CATL

Per the agreement, the two parties will cooperate in constructing battery-swapping network infrastructure for new energy vehicles, improving new energy vehicles’ battery-swapping compatibilities, and elevating the high-quality development of the new energy industry.

Sales of new energy vehicles have seen substaintial growth in China so far this year.  According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the production volume of new energy vehicles in the first eleven months amounted to 3.023 million units. In comparison, its sales volume totaled 2.99 million units, soaring 170% from a year ago, accounting for 12.7% of the market.

CAAM predicted that 3.4 million new energy vehicles would be sold this year, soaring 160% from a year ago given the current statistics. In 2022, the number would skyrocket to 5 million units per the projection.

With the growth momentum of the new energy vehicle market, a comprehensive re-charging system is required. According to data provided by China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, there were 1,192 battery-swapping stations in China by the end of November.

Notably, eleven cities in China have been selected to start battery-swapping pilot applications in China, including Beijing, Nanjing, Wuhan, Sanya, Chongqing, Changchun, Hefei, Jinan for comprehensive applications, Yibin, Tangshan, and Baotou for heavy-duty truck-related applications.