CATL, together with its battery swapping arm CAES, has recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CAR Inc. and CMB Financial Leasing in Ningde to pioneer the large-scale adoption of battery swapping within the car rental industry. Through in-depth collaboration in energy replenishment, asset operation, financial support, and car rental services, the partnership aims to provide sustainable battery swapping solutions and build a comprehensive full-chain e-mobility ecosystem.

CAR Inc. will introduce CATL's Choco-Swap models, covering various vehicle categories including economy, mid-range, and luxury, to meet mainstream demand from A0 to B classes. The pilot program will begin this year, aiming to deploy more than 100,000 battery-swappable EVs in phases. The models will be equipped with CATL's standardized battery swap blocks (20# and 25#), offering ranges from 400 to 600 kilometers. The flexible energy replenishment capabilities will support diverse mobility needs—including short and long-term rentals, corporate car use, and ride-hailing services. For ride-hailing, CAR Inc. will purchase Choco-Swap models on a large scale, focusing on deployment in China's first-tier and new first-tier cities. CAES will collaborate to build a battery health monitoring platform to ensure real-time battery safety and range stability.

In the field of infrastructure, leveraging CAR Inc.'s extensive national network of over 2,000 offline outlets and parking lot resources, a battery swapping network covering core transportation hubs will be jointly constructed to enable car rental customers to efficiently 'return and swap'. In addition, the battery-swapping stations will prioritize the use of photovoltaic green electricity and participate in power grid peak shaving and frequency regulation, supporting the development of a new power system. On the digital front, the CAR Inc. app will incorporate the battery-swapping station navigation and payment functions to create a closed-loop service encompassing rental, battery swapping, and return.

To reduce vehicle leasing costs and enhance operational efficiency, CMB Financial Leasing and CAES will provide CAR Inc.'s self-operated vehicles with competitive battery leasing solutions. The four parties will also establish a special task force to optimize costs in vehicle procurement, insurance, and used car management in collaboration with automakers, thereby enhancing product lifecycle competitiveness and delivering a more efficient and convenient travel experience for users.