Nio has stopped producing its 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery packs after building only a few hundred units, CEO William Li said in a recent interview, citing insufficient demand from customers despite the technology’s ability to deliver driving ranges exceeding 1,000 km under China’s CLTC standard.
The company began series production of the packs in April 2024 using semi-solid-state cells supplied by WeLion, following several delays. The batteries were marketed as advanced, gel-electrolyte units intended to significantly extend range but came with substantially higher costs. Li said customer interest in upgrading their vehicles from standard 75 kWh or 100 kWh packs was much lower than expected, especially at battery-swap stations.
See also: Nio Launches ES6 Milestone Edition as SUV Approaches 300,000 Deliveries
“We deployed the battery packs providing our users the option to flexibly upgrade to the 150 kWh… we found that actually they are not using this pack as often as we expected,” Li told Eletric Vehicles. “Not to mention that the 150 kWh battery pack is pretty expensive in the subscription fee, so we believe that it doesn’t make sense either from the business perspective nor from the use case or user experience perspective.”
Li attributed the lack of uptake partly to China’s extensive battery-swap network, which reduces the need for ultra-long-range packs. He noted that user preferences have shifted significantly as the number of swap stations has grown. “Years ago, when we didn’t have that many power swap stations, we had a 50/50 take rate between a 75 kWh battery and a 100 kWh battery,” he said. “But now, as we have more than 3,500 swap stations in China, actually 97% of users choose the 75 kWh over 100 kWh.”
See also: Nio’s Battery Swap Stations Approved for Grid Frequency Regulation in Sweden
Nio had planned for the 150 kWh pack to serve as a high-end option alongside its existing 70/75 kWh and 100 kWh offerings. Production took place in Nanjing, where the company integrated WeLion’s semi-solid-state cells into full battery systems. Early reports in 2024 described the pack as the highest-energy system in series production among Chinese passenger vehicles.
However, cost remained a major barrier. Nio president Qin Lihong said in 2023 that the pack cost roughly as much as the company’s ET5 sedan, which at the time started at RMB 298,000. The company had previously said the ET7 flagship sedan would eventually receive the long-range pack, first announced alongside the model in early 2021.
See also: Nio’s Firefly Files for New Variant with 120 kW Motor Upgrade
The 150 kWh unit will not be offered in Europe, Li confirmed, adding that few drivers require a 1,000-km non-stop range and that the pack would require additional certification.