What does NIO BaaS mean?

[Snow]

NIO BaaS stands for Battery as a Service, also known as NIO Battery Rental Service. The underlying logic of "Battery as a Service" is chargeable, swappable, and upgradable. NIO is a global smart electric vehicle brand, established in November 2014. Its main products include the NIO EC6, NIO ES8, NIO ES6, NIO EP9, and NIO EVE. Chargeable: This means using a private dedicated charging pile at home and commercial charging piles outside. You can choose NIO's own supercharging stations or any of the mainstream charging service providers in China, such as Star Charge, TELD, Wanma, Xiaoju, XPeng, and Yunkuaichong. Swappable: NIO's battery swap service supports magazine-style battery swapping, which can be completed in just 3 minutes. Based on the battery swap model, NIO offers battery rental services. Upgradable: This means NIO owners can continuously increase their vehicle's range by paying for upgrades. For example, upgrading from a 70kWh battery pack to an 84kWh battery pack, and then further upgrading to a 100kWh battery pack.

[StWalter]

Just explained this to my brother the other day! NIO's BAAS is a battery leasing service where the battery is priced separately when buying the car. For example, a car originally priced at 400,000 yuan can be 70,000 yuan cheaper with BAAS, meaning you drive away for 330,000 yuan. However, you’ll have a monthly battery rental fee afterward, like paying for a phone plan. The advantage is lower upfront costs and access to battery upgrades—if NIO releases a better battery, you can upgrade for a fee. The downside is that long-term leasing costs more than buying outright, but it’s great for those who change cars every three to five years. Perfect for friends who want to experience a premium EV but find the price too steep.

[Fred]

Our car enthusiast group has been discussing this a lot lately. BAAS, to put it simply, is NIO charging separately for the battery. When you buy the car, you only pay for the body, and the battery is rented to you as a service. The monthly fee depends on the battery capacity—over 800 yuan for the 70 kWh battery and over 1,000 yuan for the 100 kWh one. The biggest highlight is the ability to swap batteries anytime, making long trips a breeze with a full charge in just five minutes. But be aware, when selling the car second-hand, the buyer must continue renting the battery, which might affect the resale price. It's especially suitable for young people who love trying new things and are budget-savvy.

[LeRyder]

Last year when I changed cars, I specifically researched BAAS. Essentially, it separates the battery cost from the vehicle price, turning it into a long-term subscription service. It's like getting a coffee machine for free but having to pay continuously for coffee capsules. Choosing this model immediately reduces the car price by about 120,000 yuan (depending on the model), but increases fixed monthly expenses. I did the math: the total cost over 6 years is roughly the same as buying outright, but you get to benefit from battery technology advancements for free. The key advantage is flexible upgrades - renting a larger battery for the Spring Festival trip back home and switching back to a smaller one afterward, which is super practical.