Ningde Times will also plan and develop longer-life battery systems for NIO's upcoming models.。

(Photo by CnEVPost)

NIO (NYSE: NIO) has signed a new cooperation agreement with its power battery supplier CATL (SHE: 300750) to produce longer-lived electric vehicle (EV) batteries。

According to a statement from NIO, the two companies signed a framework agreement in Beijing today to carry out long-life battery research and development based on NIO's battery replacement needs。

Weilai said that Ningde Times has developed core technologies such as slow capacity decay, self-repairing solid electrolyte interface membranes, and lithium supplementation to extend the service life of automotive batteries.。

In this cooperation, Weilai and Ningde Times will focus on the long-life technology of replaceable batteries, jointly conduct seminars, carry out technological breakthroughs and innovations, and promote product applications.。

The electric car maker said ATL will also plan and develop longer-life battery systems for NIO's upcoming models.。

The two companies aim to provide battery replacement services to more electric vehicle users through long-life battery technology cooperation, eliminating concerns about high replacement costs due to inappropriate batteries or reduced vehicle residual value due to battery attenuation.。

Ningde Times is the only battery manufacturer with a global market share of more than 30% and the only supplier of batteries currently in circulation in the NIO battery exchange network。

NIO applied to a number of models last year to use smaller supplier AVIC Lithium to produce battery packs, but it has not yet been put into use.。

The electric car maker is also working with local start-up Beijing Weishi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. to produce semi-solid-state battery packs with a capacity of 150 kWh, which are expected to be put into use in the second quarter。

At present, the battery pack and battery y exchange station in NIO vehicles use CATL's 70 kWh, 75 kWh and 100 kWh battery packs。

On January 17, 2023, NIO and Ningde Times signed a five-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, which refers to a business model partnership based on long-life batteries。

The signing is part of NIO's long-life battery strategy and means that NIO has officially begun to make efforts in this field.。

Generally, the battery warranty for new energy vehicles (NEV) is eight years。Li Bin said that from 2025 to 2032, the batteries of nearly 20 million new energy vehicles have expired or are about to expire, and users will face problems such as driving cars with substandard batteries, differences in vehicle and battery life, and high battery replacement costs.。Founder, Chairman and CEO。

"Therefore, solving the battery life problem has become an urgent task。"Lee said。

NIO sees its battery replacement business model, which is different from most other electric vehicle manufacturers, as a natural advantage. It is committed to developing long-life batteries.。

Weilai completed its first power exchange station in Shenzhen on May 20, 2018, and last night the company's 2,382 power exchange stations completed a total of 40 million services.。

NIO has created the industry's first battery life cycle health operating system, covering the three main conditions that affect battery life: temperature, intensity and frequency。

At the same time, through big data-based operations and scheduling, the service life of replaceable batteries has been further extended. The company said that replaceable batteries still retain 80% of their capacity after 12 years of use。

In terms of battery research and development, NIO said that by focusing on the research and development of positive and negative electrode materials and the inherent performance of the electrolyte, the calendar life and cycle life of the battery have been significantly improved。

NIO already has full-stack R & D capabilities such as material synthesis, cell trial production, system assembly, and battery R & D. The company said that after verification and testing, it has accumulated 1,435 technology patents, 104 of which are related to battery life.。