Changan's NEV arm Deepal plugs into Nio's charging network

Deepal, the new energy vehicle (NEV) unit of Changan Automobile, has announced its connection to Nio's charging network, becoming the latest automaker to do so.

Charging is a profitable business.

Like Tesla, Nio's income from charging will increase when more partners use its charging network.

Deepal and Nio Power have entered into a charging partnership that will see Nio's more than 20,000 charging piles begin serving 200,000 Deepal owners starting in May, the Changan unit announced today on Weibo.

It's worth noting that Nio's charging network, one of the largest in China, has always been open to other brands of EVs.

The direct collaboration between other car companies and Nio helps in providing better charging experience such as integration of Nio's charging facilities on the in-vehicle screen and hassle-free payment.

Deepal owners will be able to check, activate and pay for Nio charging stalls through the Deepal App and in-vehicle screen to enjoy better charging services, Nio said in its statement today.

Apart from Deepal, Nio Power will interconnect with other brands in Changan for charging in the future, the EV maker said.

As of now, Nio has 2,205 supercharging stations in China, offering 10,067 charging piles, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

The EV maker has 364 charging stations in highway service areas, providing 1,422 charging piles.

It also has 1,563 destination charging stations offering 11,856 charging piles.

Nio's signature battery swap stations now number 2,404, including 790 along highways.

Deepal becomes the latest to partner with Nio on charging services, after companies including SAIC Motor, GM's joint venture in China; Jiyue, an electric vehicle maker created by Baidu in partnership with Geely Holding Group; and Geely Automobile Holdings have announced access to Nio's charging network.

The charging business is one of the few that Nio doesn't lose money on, and it's still burning money on its main business, EVs.

Nio's charging piles are open to all brands, and about 80% of the power provided is used by other brands of EVs, as the company has mentioned several times before.

The company no longer continues to lose money on its charging business, which is one of the few businesses it doesn't lose money on, William Li, Nio's founder, chairman, and CEO, said at the Nio IN 2023 innovation day event on Sep 21, 2023.