Huawei’s intelligent automotive subsidiary, Yinwang, signed a strategic partnership with CATL and its battery-swapping division, Chocolate Swap, on October 19, 2026. The collaboration integrates Huawei’s intelligent driving systems with CATL’s battery-swapping ecosystem to enable autonomous vehicle navigation and alignment at stations.
The automated process allows for a full battery swap in 99 seconds. Five new battery-swapping models are scheduled for release in 2027, including vehicles from the Epicland brand, a joint venture between Dongfeng and Huawei, and models from the Aistaland brand, a collaboration between GAC and Huawei.
As of September 29, 2026, CATL operates 2,520 Chocolate battery-swapping stations across 200 cities. The company aims to increase this number to 3,000 stations by the end of 2026. Additionally, CATL announced plans to deploy 900 Qiji stations for heavy-duty vehicles by the end of the year.
This partnership allows CATL to expand its presence in the passenger vehicle market and transition toward a full-lifecycle energy service model. The move follows a period of slowing net profit growth and tightening margins for the company in the power battery sector.
