CATL's Choco-Swap network surpasses 700 stations as nationwide expansion accelerates

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- With the inauguration of the battery-swapping station at Jinan Innovation Zone on October 21, CATL's Choco-Swap network has surpassed 700 operational sites nationwide, according to a post on CATL Choco-Swap's WeChat account.

As of now, CATL's Choco-Swap has established a presence in 39 cities across China. Eleven of these — including Chongqing, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Hefei, Qingdao, and Jinan — have developed what CATL calls "battery-swapping freedom zones," where drivers can locate a station within ten minutes and complete a full battery exchange in just 99 seconds. The company said it is on track to reach its 1,000-station milestone by 2025, pushing to build a dense, wide-reaching, and user-friendly national swapping network.

Looking ahead to 2026, CATL plans to expand its Choco-Swap footprint to more than 2,500 stations in over 120 cities, creating a more convenient, economical, and secure energy replenishment ecosystem for Chinese motorists.

CATL's national battery-swapping network is now taking shape in major economic clusters. In the Yangtze River Delta, 179 stations have been built across cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Hefei — a network now extending toward county-level regions. The Sichuan-Chongqing area hosts 123 stations, with Chongqing's main districts fully covered and Yubei District alone featuring 15 stations, positioning the region as a benchmark for western China's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster has 121 stations in operation, advancing toward full network coverage in the capital economic zone. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 116 stations now serve seven major cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with the network continuing to densify.

CATL has also standardized its battery modules under the Choco-Swap system, introducing two versions — the 20# and 25# blocks — which correspond to the 92- and 95-octane fuel grades found at gas stations. Each model can support different battery chemistries and energy capacities. Both versions are available in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and ternary-lithium (NMC) variants, allowing users to choose based on their performance or cost preferences.

CATL's subsidiary, Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (“CAES”), is partnering with several major automakers — including FAW Group, Changan Automobile, BAIC Group, Chery, and GAC Group— to develop vehicles compatible with the Choco-Swap system. In a recent move, JD.com, CAES, and GAC jointly announced plans to unveil a "national people's car" during JD's upcoming Double 11 shopping festival. The model will be sold exclusively through JD's online platform, aiming to make car purchases as easy and seamless as buying home appliances.