NIO launches V2G charging pile, new pricing standard for battery swap service

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- At the NIO Power Day 2023 held on July 20, NIO announced the official opening of the "Power Journeys Silk Road" power replenishment route, and unveiled multiple innovative services, technologies, and products, including the "On-a-Daily-Basis Flexible Battery Upgrade Service," new battery swap pricing, and the V2G charging pile.

NIO's continuous efforts in building a comprehensive power replenishment network have so far resulted in 1,564 battery swap stations and 60 Power Journeys routes across China. Currently, about 73% NIO users live in the “Swap Station District”, which the company uses to describe the residence within a 3 km radius from a NIO battery swap station. NIO added around 56% of the total electricity consumed by NIO users comes from battery swap stations.

Moreover, NIO has to-day installed home chargers for over 190,000 users, and has established 16,745 public charging piles and had access to over 750,000 third-party charging piles nationwide.

Photo credit: NIO

The Power Journeys Silk Road went live on July 19, starting from Xi'an and passing through Zhangye Danxia Geopark, Mogao Caves, the Tianchi Scenic Zone in the Tianshan Mountains, and Sayram Lake, ultimately reaching the Horgos Port. The total distance is 3,133 kilometers, with 33 charging and battery swap stations along the route, paying tribute to China's rich historical and cultural heritage.

NIO has already launched 60 Power Journeys routes nationwide. In the coming months, it plans to open more routes, including Gannan Line, Qiandongnan, and Xilingol Grassland Line. Additionally, NIO plans to expand internationally for its battery swap network, connecting five European countries, including Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands by the end of this year.

In order to continually improve the battery swap experience for users, NIO is continuously upgrading its battery swap function. In the third quarter of this year, it will introduce features like battery preparation beforehand and parallel battery swaps, as well as a one-click parking function to speed up the swap process. Furthermore, the "non-stop battery swap" feature will be available in the fourth quarter, allowing users to enjoy continuous airflow and an illuminated screen during the battery swap process.

During the NIO Power Day 2023, the "Battery Flexible Upgrade Daily Rental Service" was officially launched. This service allows users to upgrade to a higher-capacity battery at any NIO battery swap station, even when traveling long distances, improving the flexibility of their journeys and reducing long-distance travel costs. The standard rental price for an upgrad to the extended-range battery pack starts at 50 yuan per day, with a maximum charge of 880 yuan for a 31-day rental period.

Photo credit: NIO

Meanwhile, NIO launched the 20kW V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) charging pile, which not only provides fast charging but also allows bidirectional energy flow, enabling electric vehicles to absorb electricity from the grid during low-demand periods and release electricity to the grid during peak hours. This interaction between the vehicle and the grid helps with peak shaving and frequency regulation. NIO will also partner with the Qilian Mountain National Park to create the world's first V2G photovoltaic self-circulation power replenishment system, which will be operational in August this year.

Furthermore, NIO introduced a new battery swap pricing standard during the NIO Power Day 2023, which will be officially implemented starting from August 1. The single battery swap fee is similar to that of fast charging, but the overall experience far exceeds that of the latter, said NIO.