Battery as a Service (BaaS)
Battery as a Service (BaaS) is a commercial arrangement that separates access to an EV's traction battery from ownership or purchase of the vehicle.
What the model covers
The customer usually pays a recurring subscription or lease for a defined battery service. Depending on the contract, this may cover access to compatible packs, battery exchanges, capacity changes, maintenance, or support. The term does not describe one standard contract, and the customer may be entitled to battery service rather than one specific physical pack.
How it differs from battery swapping
Battery swapping is the physical operation of removing one pack and installing another. BaaS is an ownership and payment model. A swappable battery can be customer-owned, while a leased battery can remain installed in the vehicle.
NIO uses BaaS with its battery-swapping network, but that brand implementation does not make the two terms interchangeable. For the physical system and its compatibility requirements, see Battery Swapping.
Before choosing BaaS, the contract must make ownership, fees, minimum battery condition, upgrade rights, damage responsibility, vehicle resale, and end-of-subscription terms clear.