Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 22, On October 21, CATL inaugurated a new battery-swapping station at Jinan Innovation Zone, bringing its Choco-Swap network to over 700 operational sites across China, according to a post on CATL Choco-Swap’s WeChat account. The network now spans 39 cities, including Chongqing, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Hefei, Qingdao, and Jinan. Eleven of these cities feature "battery-swapping freedom zones," where drivers can reach a station within ten minutes and complete a full battery exchange in just 99 seconds. CATL aims to reach 1,000 stations by the end of 2025, building a dense, nationwide, user-friendly swapping network.

Looking to 2026, CATL plans to expand Choco-Swap to over 2,500 stations in more than 120 cities, enhancing convenience, cost efficiency, and energy security for Chinese motorists. The network is concentrated in major economic clusters. In the Yangtze River Delta, 179 stations operate across cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Hefei, with coverage extending toward county-level regions. The Sichuan-Chongqing area hosts 123 stations, fully covering Chongqing’s main districts, while Yubei District alone has 15 stations, establishing the area as a benchmark for western China’s energy infrastructure. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, 121 stations support the capital economic zone, and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 116 stations serve seven major cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with continued densification planned.

CATL has standardized its Choco-Swap battery modules into two versions — 20# and 25# blocks — which correspond to the 92- and 95-octane fuel grades at conventional gas stations. Each version supports multiple battery chemistries and energy capacities and is available in both lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and ternary-lithium (NMC) variants, allowing users to choose based on performance or cost preferences.

Through its subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (CAES), CATL collaborates with major automakers including FAW Group, Changan Automobile, BAIC Group, Chery, and GAC Group to develop vehicles compatible with Choco-Swap. In a recent initiative, JD.com, CAES, and GAC announced plans to launch a "national people's car" during JD’s upcoming Double 11 shopping festival. The model will be sold exclusively online, aiming to make car purchases as convenient and seamless as buying home appliances.

With the rapid expansion of Choco-Swap and collaborations with automakers and e-commerce platforms, CATL is establishing a comprehensive energy replenishment ecosystem in China. The network combines fast battery exchange, wide geographic coverage, and standardized modules to support the growing adoption of electric vehicles while ensuring efficiency, accessibility, and convenience for users nationwide.