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Physix Frontier · News Briefing Card (IT Home · Nov 5, 2026)

NIO completes 3,667 km Western Sichuan battery-swap loop

KEY FACTS

  • NIO announced the official opening of its Western Sichuan Grand Loop battery-swap route, spanning 3,667 kilometers.
  • The route has 22 battery-swap stations along the way, covering more than 20 A-level scenic areas.
  • Starting from Chengdu, drivers can reach Mount Siguniang, Jiuzhaigou, and Daocheng Yading entirely via battery swaps.
  • NIO has built 9,801 charging and battery-swap stations nationwide, including 4,239 battery-swap stations.
  • NIO plans to have built 100 scenic charging routes in total by 2026.

KEY DATA

3,667 kmRoute length
22Battery-swap stations along route
4,239Nationwide battery-swap stations
Over 130 millionCumulative battery swaps

PHYSIX OBSERVATION

Extending the battery-swap network into Western Sichuan's scenic areas addresses range anxiety on long road trips, but 22 stations covering 3,667 kilometers is still a sparse density. NIO treats infrastructure as its moat, yet utilization in remote areas is low, and whether it can cover operating costs is a long-term test.

Source: IT Home report

NIO completes 3,667 km Western Sichuan battery-swap loop | Physix Frontier Briefing