Huawei's Newcool, CATL Target 5 Battery-Swap Models for 2027

Five battery-swap models. That's the tentative initial lineup Huawei's automotive unit Newcool and CATL have set for launch starting in 2027, according to a LatePost report Tuesday — a figure neither partner will officially confirm.

Newcool, CATL and Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES), CATL's battery-swap operator, are developing the vehicles, LatePost reported. Newcool reiterated the core provisions of the three parties' cooperation agreement to the outlet but declined to comment on the model count or launch timing.

So treat the number as intent, not confirmed capacity.

Cailian reported separately that the first model will come from Epicland, a brand jointly developed by Dongfeng and Huawei, with launch planned for 2027. The specific vehicle hasn't been disclosed.

The two reports flesh out a partnership that, until now, had no product detail. The strategic cooperation framework agreement announced October 19 named no models and no dates.

What does the deal actually cover?

Newcool joins CATL's Choco swap ecosystem — a network of automated stations where vehicles swap depleted battery packs rather than charging. Newcool's job is adapting partner models that run Huawei's Qiankun intelligent automotive solutions (its smart-driving and cockpit stack) for compatibility with the swap network.

CAES operates the stations. The three parties plan to integrate data and services across vehicles, stations and cloud systems, using real-time battery conditions and user travel patterns to anticipate energy needs and pre-position batteries.

Under the plan outlined in the earlier statement, vehicles would autonomously locate and enter a station, position themselves, complete a fully automated 99-second swap, and drive off.

The volume problem

More partner models mean more users for the swap network, and the economics depend on it. Battery rentals and energy replenishment generate recurring revenue, but the business needs enough vehicles on the road to justify station builds, battery inventories and operations.

The station footprint so far: 2,520 swap stations across 200 Chinese cities as of September 29, per CATL's own figures. Long-term target: 30,000 stations. CATL also plans 1,000 highway swap stations between 2026 and 2027, extending the network beyond cities for long-distance travel.

Newcool, which took over Huawei's former intelligent automotive solutions business, supplies automakers with systems for smart driving, cockpits and vehicle control. The swap tie-up gives it another route into vehicles built by partners outside its direct customer base.

What to watch next

Whether the five-model lineup survives contact with development schedules. The first confirmation point is the Epicland launch in 2027 — model name, swap compatibility, and whether the 99-second automated swap works as specified in the field. After that, the pace of the 1,000 highway stations through 2027 will show if the network can support the volume the business model requires.