WeLion installed 0.41 GWh of power batteries in November, which could be used to build about 2,733 units of 150-kWh battery packs.
Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology saw its first major power battery installations in November, which could mean that Nio (NYSE: NIO) is finally starting to deploy its semi-solid-state batteries after many delays.
WeLion installed 0.41 GWh of power batteries in November, placing it 12th in the Chinese market with a 0.92 percent share, according to data released December 11 by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).
CABIA publishes rankings of the top 15 battery manufacturers with the highest installed base of power batteries in its monthly report, and this is the first time WeLion has been one of the top 15 in the overall market.
In the ternary battery market, WeLion was No. 7 in November with a 2.63 percent share. It had been in the top 15 for ternary battery installations in October, but at that time had installed just 0.01 GWh and was No. 14 with a 0.06 percent share.
Nio unveiled its 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery when it launched its flagship sedan, the Nio ET7, at the Nio Day 2020 event on January 9, 2021.
WeLion began delivering 360 Wh/kg Li-ion battery cells to Nio on June 30 of this year, with a delivery ceremony held in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, where its manufacturing facility is located.
It's not clear if WeLion's current batteries are being supplied exclusively to Nio, but the two have been working together for the past few years on a joint effort to create semi-solid batteries, and Nio's senior vice president, Zeng Shuxiang, sits on WeLion's board of directors.
If all of WeLion's power battery installations in November were contributed by Nio, the 0.41 GWh of capacity could have been used in about 2,733 150-kWh battery packs, enough for one for every Nio battery swap station.
As of December 13, Nio had 2,228 battery swaps in China, data from its charging map show.
Nio currently has eight models on sale -- ES8, ES7, ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, ET5, ET5 Touring. The models support battery swap, with all vehicles sharing the battery packs circulating in its battery swap system.
On May 9, Nio filed with China's industry regulator to add WeLion as a battery cell supplier for three models, including two SUVs as well as a sedan, marking the company's first filing of use of the battery.
On October 16, Nio filed the battery for an additional 11 models, including nine SUVs and two sedans.
Nio will hold Nio Day 2023 on December 23, where it will unveil a new flagship model, William Li, the company's founder, chairman, and CEO, said during its third-quarter earnings call earlier this month.
The model will feature Nio's latest technological innovations and will be the global technology benchmark for smart electric vehicles, Li said.
It's not clear whether Nio will make the 150-kWh semisolid-state battery one of the model's key selling points.
New model to be unveiled on Nio Day 2023 could be ultra high-end sedan 'ET9', says Deutsche Bank
