Nio to install 20 battery-swapping stations in EnBW charging parks

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio will install swapping stations, where drivers can switch their car battery for a fully-charged one, at 20 charging parks in Germany owned by utility EnBW, the utility provider said on Thursday.

Nio launched in Germany in October on a leasing model, with users leasing cars with a 75 gigawatt hour battery for 1,199-1,295 euros ($1,171-$1,264) a month depending on the length of the subscription, which can be as short as a month.

The carmaker, which is aiming for 120 swapping stations in Europe by the end of 2023, opened its first swapping station in Germany in late September in Zusmarshausen in collaboration with charging operator Sortimo and mobility technology company TSG.

EnBW, which is investing over 100 million euros ($105.26 million) a year in expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, plans to expand its partnership with Nio to install more swapping stations in future, the provider's statement said.

($1 = 0.9500 euros)

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, editing by Rachel More)