Gasgoo Munich- CATL’s Choco Swapping network has surpassed 2,520 stations nationwide, covering 31 provinces and 200 cities, GasAuto reported on Sept. 29. The milestone follows the completion of the Lanzhou Chengguan North Binhe East Road site. Nearly 20,000 fresh battery packs have already been delivered to warehouses.Image source: Choco SwappingThose figures signal rapid expansion this year. At the end of last year, the network had 1,020 stations across 45 cities. By June 30, that footprint had grown to 2,000 stations in 180 cities, with an average of more than 200 new sites coming online each month in the second quarter. Based on the latest data, roughly 1,500 stations have been added in the first three quarters of this year.Unlike its early focus on core cities, Choco Swapping is clearly pushing into smaller towns and highway corridors. Small and mid-sized cities now account for over 80% of its disclosed locations. The highway rollout is also accelerating. Under current plans, 1,000 highway swapping stations will be deployed between 2026 and 2027, aiming to create a network with a station pair every 100 km along major expressways. In early September, Choco Swapping announced a wave of signings for 100-station-scale projects across multiple provinces, with contracted highway stations expected to top 1,000 by year-end.Image source: Choco SwappingStill, by total station count, Choco Swapping isn't yet China's largest passenger-car swapping network. As of Aug. 17, NIO had reached 4,022 stations nationwide. Choco Swapping is carving a different path: pushing a cross-brand standardized network. Its shared-network partners now include automakers such as Changan, Chery, GAC, Seres, SGMW, and BAIC.Meanwhile, Choco Swapping will offer free battery swaps for the National Day holiday from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7. As its footprint scales up, the next phase shifts the focus — raw build-out speed matters less than whether compatible models, user adoption, and actual station utilization can keep pace.
