BAIC shows Beta S3 and Beta T1 EVs compatible with CATL battery swap in about 99 seconds

Chinese automaker BAIC has presented two electric cars with a quick battery swap system, according to the outlet Nauka. The Beta S3 and Beta T1 are compatible with CATL's Chocolate network, where dedicated equipment removes a depleted battery and installs a charged one in about 99 seconds naukatv.ruНаука 2.0naukatv.ruOpen source ↗. The models are part of a joint BAIC and CATL project to build shared infrastructure for electric cars of different brands.

Beta S3 and Beta T1 specifications

The senior model, the Beta S3 535 Ultra+ LiDAR Swappable Edition, has an electric motor of 159 kW (213 hp) and torque of 250 N·m. The front-wheel-drive sedan accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 165 km/h. The stated range is 535 km on the Chinese CLTC cycle.

The driver-assistance system combines a lidar with 192 scan lines and the Journey J6M computing chip from Horizon Robotics. The lidar sends laser pulses and determines the distance to surrounding objects from the reflected signal. The system supports navigation on city streets and highways, as well as automatic parking. The cabin has a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, an 8.8-inch digital instrument panel and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor.

The Beta T1 has a more compact body, 4337 mm long, with a wheelbase of 2770 mm. Its electric motor delivers 95 kW (127 hp), and the top speed is 150 km/h. CATL developed a swappable battery for this model based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. The range of the Beta T1 with the new battery has not been disclosed naukatv.ruНаука 2.0naukatv.ruOpen source ↗.

The Chocolate swap network

With swapping, the driver does not wait for the battery to recharge: the car enters a station, and the battery is replaced automatically. The cars can also be charged in the usual way. CATL uses a battery rental model: the buyer owns the car without the battery and pays regularly for its use.

BAIC, CATL and the service partner CAES agreed on cooperation in April 2026. It covers the development of compatible cars and of battery swap stations. According to CATL, at that time the Chocolate network included more than 1470 stations in 99 cities in China, and the company planned to increase the number to 3000 by the end of the year. In October, BAIC and CATL announced an expanded partnership, one goal of which is to enable the swapping of a million car batteries.

CATL is also considering expanding the network beyond China. In June 2026 the company launched two Choco-Swap stations in Hong Kong and announced plans to increase their number to about 36 by 2030. In Europe, CATL is developing a separate line for electric trucks together with the British company Octopus Energy: the first station is planned in the UK in 2027, with a network of 30 sites in different European countries later. The timing of European Choco-Swap stations for passenger cars has not been announced naukatv.ruНаука 2.0naukatv.ruOpen source ↗.