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Nio expands battery upgrade to Europe and makes PSS grid-supportive
The Chinese electric car manufacturer Nio has launched the rollout of flexible battery upgrades in Europe. After a reportedly successful launch in China, the service is now also available in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Users who book Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) have the option to select a higher-range battery instead of the standard battery (75 kWh capacity) on a monthly basis, when swapping batteries at one of the NIO Power Swap Stations (PSS) as needed. The empty battery can be swapped automatically in about three minutes for one that is already 90 percent charged. This fast and convenient battery swap is intended to complement the traditional charging at a wallbox or quick-charging station. Up to 30 percent more range can be achieved with the Long-Range battery (100 kWh capacity), allowing the capacity to be adjusted to travel plans, such as vacations or long business trips. The provider advertises the service as a cost-effective alternative for those who only need a higher range a few times a year and therefore do not require a Long-Range battery.
Within the BaaS system, the Standard Range battery costs 169 euros per month, with users only paying 289 euros per month for the flexible battery upgrade when they use the Long-Range battery, just for the period they use the larger battery. Once activated, the upgrade, available for all models, is available to users for a month and can then be extended.
"With the flexible battery upgrade, European NIO users benefit from being able to decide freely and enjoy comfort and peace of mind regarding their range—all at lower costs," outlines Kajsa Ivansson Sognefur, Head of NIO Power Europe.
The new service can be booked via its app up to one day in advance, subject to availability. The next day, users receive a charged long-range battery at a Power Swap Station in their respective country. The manufacturer guarantees performance, safety, and reliability.
"In my current life situation, I do not need the additional range in everyday life, and therefore see the benefit of the upgrade primarily for travel," quotes the manufacturer Nio driver Kai Scheffler, who was able to test the swap in a pilot program before the rollout on December 3rd.
The introduction of the flexible battery upgrade coincides with the manufacturer's 100,000th battery swap in Europe. The long-term strategy is seen as validated.
"Once users come to appreciate the convenience and time savings of battery swapping, it quickly becomes their preferred solution. With 58 active and further planned Power Swap Stations in Europe as well as our new flexible upgrade service, users have more time for the important things on their travels," promotes Ivansson Sognefur.
In China, the manufacturer already enables flexible use of battery capacities, where users can switch between different battery sizes such as Standard, Long-Range, or Ultra-Long-Range on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. As a result, most users today already opt for the more cost-effective Standard-Range battery in everyday life and upgrade to larger batteries temporarily as needed.
NIO Power Grid Services: Future-Proof Network Stability
In addition to the convenient battery swapping, the e-car startup sees future electricity trading and grid services in Europe as an additional benefit of the PSS. With its Power Grid Services, it contributes to relieving and stabilizing the local or regional energy grid through intelligent charging planning: Every PSS charges the stored batteries at an optimal pace and at times of the day that are most favorable for the available grid capacity—usually at night. The PSS can also respond to sudden supply fluctuations that come with the increasing integration of renewable energies such as wind and solar power. In the event of an energy surplus, they charge the stored battery, while the PSS automatically reduces power demand during high grid loads. This intelligent management of energy resources increases the share of renewable energies in the long term, leads to more stable electricity prices, and a more resilient, future-proof grid, the provider further promotes.
In 2024, the Chinese company has significantly expanded its charging infrastructure and, as a first step, introduced the unidirectional grid service at the PSS Sulzbach. A unidirectional PSS is designed for a one-way energy flow: It charges the stored batteries but does not return energy to the grid. Thus, its role in grid interaction and frequency regulation is primarily limited to supporting the downward adjustment of grid frequency by increasing the charging power. However, the PSS Sulzbach near Frankfurt/Main is already testing bidirectional grid services: The goal in a further step is both charging batteries and feeding energy back into the grid, which the company is currently working on for all of Europe.
Translated automatically from German.
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