Shanghai (ZXZC)- On May 16, GAC AION, a subsidiary of GAC Group, signed a framework agreement for a battery swapping project with CATL and Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (“CAES”) at the GAC Center.

Photo credit: GAC AION

According to the agreement, the three parties will leverage GAC AION's market and brand advantages, CATL's battery technology and resources, and CAES's expertise in equipment development, operational management, and software platforms for battery swapping in new energy vehicles to collaborate on developing battery swap models, producing and circulating battery swap blocks, managing vehicle and battery data, and providing vehicle warranties and after-sales services. This partnership aims to promote GAC AION's battery swappable car models and offer users a more efficient and convenient battery swapping experience.

In this collaboration, GAC AION will focus on vehicle R&D and manufacturing to create advanced battery swappable car models. CATL will utilize its battery technology and resources to produce and supply standard battery swap blocks. CAES will lead the development of battery swap blocks and provide battery sales, leasing, and "Chocolate" battery swapping services. This partnership is a significant step for GAC Group in enhancing its energy ecosystem and strengthening GAC AION's battery swapping capabilities.

Earlier, on May 8, GAC Group and NIO signed a strategic cooperation agreement, through which GAC AION and NIO have achieved network interconnection for battery charging and swapping. The new agreement with CATL and CAES expands GAC Group's network of battery swapping partners, demonstrating its commitment to addressing energy replenishment concerns.

GAC AION's battery swapping station; photo credit: GAC AION

As of today, GAC AION has built 1,000 EV charging and battery swapping stations nationwide and plans to advance the "Ten Thousand Pile Plan" this year, aiming to build 10,000 ultra-fast charging terminals based on a 1,000V high-voltage platform and exceed 1 million private charging pile users, forming a dual strategy of "ultra-fast charging + battery swapping."

With this fresh agreement, CATL's battery swapping network will expand further. Since entering the battery swapping market in 2020, CATL has launched the Choco-SEB (Swapping Electric Block) and relevant battery swapping service solutions, actively promoting the construction of a battery swapping ecosystem. They have partnered with local governments in Xiamen, Shenzhen, and other areas, as well as with car companies, mobility service platforms, and state-owned energy enterprises, to develop battery swapping networks and research long-life battery technologies.