China’s Nio and battery giant CATL have signed a new five-year strategic cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening collaboration on long-life battery technology and the expansion of battery swap networks, the companies said.
The agreement was signed in Hefei, Anhui province, with Nio founder and chief executive William Li and CATL founder and chief executive Robin Zeng attending the ceremony. The deal builds on earlier partnerships between the two companies as China’s new energy vehicle sector accelerates technological and business model development.
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CATL said the collaboration will span technology development, ecosystem building and market expansion, with the goal of advancing battery innovation and supporting Hefei’s ambition to become a global hub for new energy vehicles.
On the technology front, the partners will focus on the joint development of long-life batteries and battery swap compatibility, while promoting multiple technology routes and accelerating the deployment of new solutions. In terms of ecosystem development, the two companies plan to advance technical standardization for battery swapping and explore shared use of network resources, including closer coordination on Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) models.
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Market expansion is another pillar of the agreement. Nio and CATL said they will step up joint branding efforts in both domestic and overseas markets, aiming to improve global visibility and competitiveness across the electric vehicle value chain.
The deal further deepens a long-standing relationship between the two companies. Nio relied exclusively on CATL as its battery supplier in its early years before introducing additional suppliers. Recent media reports have suggested that Nio has been consolidating its battery sourcing, with CATL taking a larger role as some supply arrangements with other battery makers have been reduced or phased out.
See also: Nio Expands Battery Swap Network to 200 Stations in Shanghai
The latest agreement follows earlier deals signed in March 2024 to co-develop long-life batteries and in March 2025 to jointly build what the companies described as the world’s largest battery swap network.
The announcement comes as Nio marked the rollout of its one-millionth mass-produced vehicle at its Hefei F2 factory, underscoring the scale the automaker has reached as it seeks to expand its infrastructure-led approach to electric mobility.
