Introduction:NIO, a new energy vehicle brand, has extended its coffee service to battery swap stations. The Minxin Tea City battery swap station in Shanghai is the first to introduce a fully automatic coffee machine and robotic arm delivery system. Vehicle owners can order freshly ground coffee through a mobile app, which is then precisely delivered to their car window by a robotic arm. Bottled beverages are handled by staff. This article details the service operation process, user feedback, and explores the potential for nationwide expansion along with safety considerations.
As early as 2022, the new energy vehicle brand NIO launched its own coffee brand, offering distinctive beverage options to users at its stores. Recently, some car owners noticed that this service has quietly made its way into battery swap stations, with the Minxin Tea City station in Shanghai becoming the first pilot site to install a fully automatic coffee machine and begin testing freshly ground coffee delivery.
According to feedback from car owners on-site, the freshly ground coffee equipment currently installed at this swap station is still in the testing phase. After driving into the station, users can place an order directly from inside their vehicle by scanning a QR code on a mini-program via their phone. If they choose freshly brewed coffee, the machine will prepare it on the spot, and a six-axis robotic arm will accurately deliver the cup to the driver’s side window—allowing owners to retrieve their coffee without leaving their vehicle. For pre-packaged bottled coffee or tea drinks, station staff will deliver them personally.
This innovative service has quickly sparked discussions within the car owner community, with many users giving positive feedback after trying it out. Some described the entire pickup process as “smooth as flowing clouds,” especially praising the robotic arm delivery for being both high-tech and practical. Others noted that while they wouldn’t specifically come to the station just for coffee during a battery swap, the convenience of “grabbing a cup” if they needed a pick-me-up was highly appreciated.
Industry observers point out that this service not only enhances the experience during battery swap waiting times but could also become a new benchmark for supporting services in the new energy vehicle sector. Netizens have enthusiastically suggested expanding the offerings, proposing the addition of hot food options like sandwiches, bagels, or light snacks to pair with coffee—creating a dual-service model of “vehicle energy replenishment + personal energy boost” to further strengthen brand loyalty.
Notably, some industry insiders suggest that NIO consider opening a non-member channel, allowing non-NIO vehicle owners to purchase coffee at the stations and broadening the service’s reach. Currently, some physical NIO stores already offer delivery services, where non-members can order limited-edition specialty drinks via third-party platforms—a model that could potentially be replicated at battery swap stations to attract and convert potential customers.
However, some users have raised concerns about safety issues, particularly the risk of freshly prepared beverages being spilled onto delicate battery swap equipment due to improper handling by drivers. Industry experts recommend thoroughly evaluating the beverage delivery route and equipment protection design before full-scale implementation, ensuring a balance between service convenience and station safety.
Currently, only the Minxin Tea City battery swap station in Shanghai offers the trial operation of “Power-Up Coffee.” Station staff stated that the focus at this stage is on collecting user feedback and continuously optimizing machine parameters—for example, adjusting the coffee serving temperature (targeted to maintain an optimal drinking range of 55–60°C) and improving the precision of the robotic arm’s delivery. Future plans include gradually expanding the service to major battery swap stations nationwide and possibly introducing a reservation ordering feature, allowing car owners to select their preferred drinks via the mobile app in advance and pick them up directly upon arrival.
Additionally, the team revealed that more beverage varieties may be added in the future, including seasonal specials and decaffeinated options to meet the needs of different groups. As for the light food services that netizens are looking forward to, feasibility is currently under evaluation, and efforts may be made in the future to create a more comprehensive in-station rest experience, providing users with a full range of services while they wait for their battery swaps.
The industry believes that if this innovative service model is successfully implemented, it will provide an important reference for the diversified management of new energy infrastructure and will also set higher requirements for station space planning and service process design. With the maturation of technology and the accumulation of market feedback, the combined “Power-Up + Coffee” service may become a standard feature of next-generation charging and swapping stations.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
