NIO and CATL have signed a new framework agreement to carry out joint innovation in the research and development of long-life EV batteries.
Through it, the companies will look to support both NIO’s battery swap stations and future NIO EVs. Shizhe Tzeng, NIO’s Vice President, and Huan Gao, CTO of CATL’s China E-Car Business Unit, signed the agreement, while Alan Zeng, NIO’s Senior Vice President and CEO of XPT, and Wei Zhu, Executive President of CATL’s Passenger Car Business Unit, attended the signing ceremony.
In their cooperation, long-life technology for swappable batteries will be a key focus – with NIO and CATL carrying out discussions on this technology, while developing and promoting product applications. CATL itself will plan and develop battery systems designed to enable longer service lives for NIO’s upcoming models. Through this co-operation, the companies aim to establish a long-term, mutually beneficial, partnership to accelerate the development and adoption of long-life battery technologies.
Ultimately, NIO and CATL are looking to encourage sustainability and enhance the experience of NIO’s battery swap services with no concerns on the high replacement costs associated with unwarranted batteries, or reduced vehicle residual value due to battery attenuation.