KATHMANDU:Chinese battery giant CATL has reached a major milestone by expanding its Choco-SEB battery swap network to 2,000 stations. The company installed its 2,000th battery swap station on June 30 and has been adding more than 200 new stations every month throughout 2026.
CATL aims to operate 3,000 battery swap stations across mainland China and Hong Kong by the end of 2026. The network currently covers 180 cities across 31 provinces, making it one of the world’s largest battery-swapping infrastructures.
The company introduced its Choco-SEB battery-swapping ecosystem in partnership with several Chinese automakers. Last December, CATL announced that 10 new electric vehicle models would use its swappable battery system, supporting its goal of replacing a significant share of conventional fuel stations with battery swap facilities.
CATL is also expanding beyond China. The company has partnered with Octopus Energy to introduce large-scale battery-swapping technology in the UK and other European markets.
“Battery swapping will be a significant part of the future of commercial transport,” said CATL Chairman and CEO Robin Zeng. He said the technology has already been proven in China and will now be expanded to Europe through the partnership.
The latest rollout includes battery swap stations in urban areas, tourist destinations, and commercial districts. At its current pace, CATL could surpass 4,000 battery swap stations globally by the end of 2026.
