Charging speeds for EVs are falling rapidly thanks to advances in battery tech and products like BYD’s Flash network –- but Chinese brand Nio has shown them up with amazing technology that can install a fully charged replacement battery in as little as two minutes and 44 seconds, with the driver barely lifting a finger.

Nio’s fourth-generation, fully automated Power Swap Stations were first introduced in 2024, and they’re so easy to use, the driver doesn’t even have to leave the car, and can manage the entire process with a few inputs on a touchscreen. 

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First, they request a battery swap using the Nio app, which can be done inside the vehicle with help from the brand’s NOMI AI system. They’ll then be directed to one of the swap stations, which hold up to 21 batteries and occupy roughly the same area as four parking spaces. 

Each station has lines and arrows painted on the ground outside the entrance, like a parking spot. Drivers simply stop the vehicle within the designated area, hit the “start parking” button on their touchscreen, and the vehicle automatically moves itself in the station.

A “start power swap” message will display on the in-car screen. Press it and the vehicle will conduct a detailed self-inspection to make sure all is in order with the battery, motor and electric control systems before the new unit is installed.

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Videos detailing the process show machinery rising from the floor of the station to detach the old battery, stow it away, and fix the new, fully charged unit in place. Once that is complete, the vehicle will conduct another check. If all’s well, the driver will see a green light on the inside of the station and they can head off.

There is a network of around 3700 Power Swap Stations in China, and the brand swapped 146,649 batteries in one day back in February. The installations have also made it to Germany and the United Arab Emirates, but don’t hold your breath for Aussie versions.