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NIO’s electric car battery swapping station looks to pick up where Tesla left off
NIO continues to push forward on battery swapping technology that’s aimed at getting its electric cars fueled up in less time than it takes to pump gasoline into a standard internal combustion engine vehicle. NIO owners can use the company’s compact battery swapping stations located in parking lots and other locations for a delay-free power supply for their vehicles. Drivers enter a swap station and wait while an autonomous robot removes a vehicle’s drained battery and replaces it with a completely charged one. With such an option available for quick access to EV power, NIO clearly intends to embrace customer convenience as part of its plan to win over its target customer base.
According to NIO’s IPO last year, this battery exchange service – called “Power Swap” – has been rolled out in nine cities around China, including Beijing and Shanghai. Plans call for 40 to 80 swap stations in place by the end of December. The company announced the completion of its battery swap network along the Chinese G2 Expressway (from Beijing to Shanghai) in early January this year.
NIO is offering a subscription model that’s priced at $200 per month wherein customers can utilize company-provided batteries rather than owning the actual battery that’s attached to their vehicle. If a customer doesn’t own the battery, swapping it out is a mere formality rather than a question of whether their replacement battery is the same quality as the one given up after purchase.
Despite its advantages, NIO’s battery swap plan has given investors pause, and for good reason. This style of recharging concept has gained some closet skeletons in the recent past, particularly via Better Place, the Israeli-based electric car company that gained a pie-in-the-sky reputation trying to become what Tesla ultimately became but went bankrupt instead. Better Place was known for its swap stations, thus wrapping the entire autonomous recharging solution in with Better Place’s downfall, fair or not. The current environment for EVs might change investors’ tune in the near future, though, especially given NIO’s native country’s push for companies just like theirs to exist.
NIO and other electric companies have a unique position with the Chinese government that may help them succeed where others have struggled or failed. Namely, government-driven subsidies and charging infrastructure investments have been offered to China’s customers to encourage the speedy production and expansion of electric car presence. This direct support could be key to NIO’s ability to scale up and profit from its battery swapping business. That, and Tesla’s incredible impact on the demand for electric vehicles and proven ability to implement battery charging networks to ease range anxiety deserves a significant effort.
Tesla has given its own attempt at battery swapping a shot after first demonstrating the capability shortly after Better Place closed up shop. A battery swapping station opened up near the Harris Ranch Supercharger station in Coalinga, CA with appointments available beginning in 2014 as a pilot program. The station appeared to be closed as of 2016, however, and Tesla has only shown an interest in offering the service again via a 2017 patent application for a battery swapping technology after investing its primary resources into developing its Supercharger network. Tesla’s application received a Notice of Allowance for this application from the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 6, 2019, meaning the company has continued to pursue the technology rights and the full patent should issue soon.
NIO opened its doors in 2014 and currently offers two all-electric production vehicles: the ES6 and ES8, both SUVs. Dubbed the “Tesla of China”, the startup successfully delivered 10,000 made-to-order vehicles last year and has made overtaking Tesla in China one of its major goals. Significant investments have been made into branding NIO as a lifestyle company, including exclusive owner clubs and social network opportunities along with customer convenience offerings like the battery swap stations, mobile power vans, and app-based services similar to those offered by Tesla. It remains to be seen whether NIO can successfully revive the battery swap concept, but considering the brave new world of EVs that did not exist a mere few years ago, their hopes certainly don’t seem to be too far fetched.
Watch the below video to see NIO’s battery swapping tech in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmTePwW5HOQ&feature=youtu.be
News
Tesla Cybercab spotted with interesting charging solution, stimulating discussion
The port is located in the rear of the vehicle and features a manual door and latch for plug-in, and the video shows an employee connecting to a Tesla Supercharger.
Tesla Cybercab units are being tested publicly on roads throughout various areas of the United States, and a recent sighting of the vehicle’s charging port has certainly stimulated some discussions throughout the community.
The Cybercab is geared toward being a fully-autonomous vehicle, void of a steering wheel or pedals, only operating with the use of the Full Self-Driving suite. Everything from the driving itself to the charging to the cleaning is intended to be operated autonomously.
But a recent sighting of the vehicle has incited some speculation as to whether the vehicle might have some manual features, which would make sense, but let’s take a look:
🚨 Tesla Cybercab charging port is in the rear of the vehicle!
Here’s a great look at plugging it in!!
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 29, 2026
The port is located in the rear of the vehicle and features a manual door and latch for plug-in, and the video shows an employee connecting to a Tesla Supercharger.
Now, it is important to remember these are prototype vehicles, and not the final product. Additionally, Tesla has said it plans to introduce wireless induction charging in the future, but it is not currently available, so these units need to have some ability to charge.
However, there are some arguments for a charging system like this, especially as the operation of the Cybercab begins after production starts, which is scheduled for April.
Wireless for Operation, Wired for Downtime
It seems ideal to use induction charging when the Cybercab is in operation. As it is for most Tesla owners taking roadtrips, Supercharging stops are only a few minutes long for the most part.
The Cybercab would benefit from more frequent Supercharging stops in between rides while it is operating a ride-sharing program.
Tesla wireless charging patent revealed ahead of Robotaxi unveiling event
However, when the vehicle rolls back to its hub for cleaning and maintenance, standard charging, where it is plugged into a charger of some kind, seems more ideal.
In the 45-minutes that the car is being cleaned and is having maintenance, it could be fully charged and ready for another full shift of rides, grabbing a few miles of range with induction charging when it’s out and about.
Induction Charging Challenges
Induction charging is still something that presents many challenges for companies that use it for anything, including things as trivial as charging cell phones.
While it is convenient, a lot of the charge is lost during heat transfer, which is something that is common with wireless charging solutions. Even in Teslas, the wireless charging mat present in its vehicles has been a common complaint among owners, so much so that the company recently included a feature to turn them off.
Production Timing and Potential Challenges
With Tesla planning to begin Cybercab production in April, the real challenge with the induction charging is whether the company can develop an effective wireless apparatus in that short time frame.
It has been in development for several years, but solving the issue with heat and energy loss is something that is not an easy task.
In the short-term, Tesla could utilize this port for normal Supercharging operation on the Cybercab. Eventually, it could be phased out as induction charging proves to be a more effective and convenient option.
News
Tesla confirms that it finally solved its 4680 battery’s dry cathode process
The suggests the company has finally resolved one of the most challenging aspects of its next-generation battery cells.
Tesla has confirmed that it is now producing both the anode and cathode of its 4680 battery cells using a dry-electrode process, marking a key breakthrough in a technology the company has been working to industrialize for years.
The update, disclosed in Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 update letter, suggests the company has finally resolved one of the most challenging aspects of its next-generation battery cells.
Dry cathode 4680 cells
In its Q4 and FY 2025 update letter, Tesla stated that it is now producing 4680 cells whose anode and cathode were produced during the dry electrode process. The confirmation addresses long-standing questions around whether Tesla could bring its dry cathode process into sustained production.
The disclosure was highlighted on X by Bonne Eggleston, Tesla’s Vice President of 4680 batteries, who wrote that “both electrodes use our dry process.”
Tesla first introduced the dry-electrode concept during its Battery Day presentation in 2020, pitching it as a way to simplify production, reduce factory footprint, lower costs, and improve energy density. While Tesla has been producing 4680 cells for some time, the company had previously relied on more conventional approaches for parts of the process, leading to questions about whether a full dry-electrode process could even be achieved.
4680 packs for Model Y
Tesla also revealed in its Q4 and FY 2025 Update Letter that it has begun producing battery packs for certain Model Y vehicles using its in-house 4680 cells. As per Tesla:Â
“We have begun to produce battery packs for certain Model Ys with our 4680 cells, unlocking an additional vector of supply to help navigate increasingly complex supply chain challenges caused by trade barriers and tariff risks.”
The timing is notable. With Tesla preparing to wind down Model S and Model X production, the Model Y and Model 3 are expected to account for an even larger share of the company’s vehicle output. Ensuring that the Model Y can be equipped with domestically produced 4680 battery packs gives Tesla greater flexibility to maintain production volumes in the United States, even as global battery supply chains face increasing complexity.
Elon Musk
Tesla Giga Texas to feature massive Optimus V4 production line
This suggests that while the first Optimus line will be set up in the Fremont Factory, the real ramp of Optimus’ production will happen in Giga Texas.
Tesla will build Optimus 4 in Giga Texas, and its production line will be massive. This was, at least, as per recent comments by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X.
Optimus 4 production
In response to a post on X which expressed surprise that Optimus will be produced in California, Musk stated that “Optimus 4 will be built in Texas at much higher volume.” This suggests that while the first Optimus line will be set up in the Fremont Factory, and while the line itself will be capable of producing 1 million humanoid robots per year, the real ramp of Optimus’ production will happen in Giga Texas.Â
This was not the first time that Elon Musk shared his plans for Optimus’ production at Gigafactory Texas. During the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, he stated that Giga Texas’ Optimus line will produce 10 million units of the humanoid robot per year. He did not, however, state at the time that Giga Texas would produce Optimus V4.Â
“So we’re going to launch on the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever, starting with building a one-million-unit production line in Fremont. And that’s Line one. And then a ten million unit per year production line here,” Musk stated.Â
How big Optimus could become
During Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 earnings call, Musk offered additional context on the potential of Optimus. While he stated that the ramp of Optimus’ production will be deliberate at first, the humanoid robot itself will have the potential to change the world.Â
“Optimus really will be a general-purpose robot that can learn by observing human behavior. You can demonstrate a task or verbally describe a task or show it a task. Even show it a video, it will be able to do that task. It’s going to be a very capable robot. I think long-term Optimus will have a very significant impact on the US GDP.
“It will actually move the needle on US GDP significantly. In conclusion, there are still many who doubt our ambitions for creating amazing abundance. We are confident it can be done, and we are making the right moves technologically to ensure that it does. Tesla, Inc. has never been a company to shy away from solving the hardest problems,” Musk stated.
Tesla Cybercab spotted with interesting charging solution, stimulating discussion
Tesla confirms that it finally solved its 4680 battery’s dry cathode process
