NIO’s sub-brand, codenamed ALPS, is set to take advantage of the 800-volt high-voltage platform that enables faster vehicle charging. According to Shen Fei, Vice President of NIO Power, the entire lineup of ALPS will be built on this new platform, and the third-generation battery swap stations will be compatible with ALPS models.
NIO’s ALPS sub-brand aims to target the mainstream market of RMB 200,000 ($28,840) to 300,000, and the vehicles will be ready for mass production and delivery in the second half of 2024.
See also: NIO’s Sub-Brand ALPS to Target Mainstream Market with New Sales Channel and Halved Model Range
NIO confirmed last year that it would enter the mass market through two sub-brands, codenamed ALPS and Firefly. The ALPS sub-brand will have a new channel, and the number of planned models is expected to be half that of the NIO brand. Furthermore, the battery packs for ALPS models may be thinner than those used in NIO-branded models.
NIO is developing its own lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) and 46 series ternary batteries and plans to mass-produce both. The company’s LMFP batteries will be supplied to the ALPS sub-brand that targets a market with a price range of RMB 200,000-300,000. NIO’s 46 series batteries will also be used in the 800-volt pack, which is expected to be used in its NT 3.0 platform models by 2024.
See also: Oppo and Vivo Partner with NIO to Turn Smartphones into Car Keys
In addition to its battery technology, NIO is expanding its battery swap stations. The company plans to add 1,000 battery swap stations in 2023, 2.5 times the previously announced plan of 400, and about 400 will be located in highway service areas or near highway entrances and exits.
The other 600 stations will be deployed in urban areas, and NIO’s network of battery swap stations covering nine major horizontal highways and nine vertical highways in China could be completed by the end of this year, at least a year ahead of schedule.
