On February 15, 2026, NIO Inc. recorded 146,649 battery swaps in a single day, eclipsing its previous high of 145,395 swaps set in October 2025. The new record was achieved during the first day of the Spring Festival travel surge, a period that typically sees the highest demand for rapid recharging in China.
The record swap volume was made possible by NIO’s extensive network of 3,750 battery‑swap stations spread across the country, a figure that exceeds the 3,641 stations cited in earlier reports. The network’s capacity and operational efficiency allowed it to absorb the surge in demand without service interruptions.
NIO’s record day follows the company’s milestone of 100 million cumulative battery swaps, reached on February 6, 2026. The cumulative figure underscores the mainstream acceptance of battery swapping as a viable recharging solution for new‑energy vehicles in China.
William Li, NIO’s founder, chairman and CEO, said, "Battery swapping has become a mainstream solution for recharging new energy vehicles in China." The statement signals confidence in the business model and its importance to NIO’s long‑term strategy.
The company plans to add 1,000 new swap stations in 2026 and is developing fifth‑generation stations that will be compatible with its sub‑brands ONVO and FIREFLY, expanding network reach and cross‑brand access.
While the operational achievement is significant, NIO is simultaneously addressing a recall of more than 246,000 vehicles due to a software issue, highlighting ongoing quality challenges that could affect customer trust.
The record swap volume also illustrates the network’s profitability potential. A station needs about 60 swaps a day to break even, while the average daily swaps per station are 35, indicating room for scaling profitability as volume grows.
Competitors such as Tesla focus on charging networks, but NIO’s battery‑swap model offers a faster alternative during high‑traffic periods like the Spring Festival, giving it a competitive edge in the Chinese EV market.
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