Chinese automaker Arcfox launched a battery-swap version of the T1 and a LiDAR-equipped S3 535ULTRA battery-swap version on November 13, 2026. The T1 starts at 52,000 yuan (about ¥1.25 million) when combined with a battery lease. Arcfox keeps the vehicle price down by having buyers lease the battery separately.
Drivers exchange a depleted battery for a charged one at a compatible swap station. Under this model, buyers need to consider not only the vehicle price at purchase but also the monthly battery lease fee and its mileage allowance. Free swap vouchers are also offered, but the number of swaps and their validity period are limited. Looking at the purchase price, the monthly contract and the limited-time perks separately makes it easier to understand the actual cost.
Yen figures in this article are approximations based on the exchange rate as of November 13, 2026 (1 yuan ≈ ¥23.94).
What's new: swap-capable T1 and a LiDAR S3
The T1 gains two battery-swap trims, the 530 PRO and 530 MAX. According to Arcfox's official page, their retail prices with a battery lease are 52,000 yuan (about ¥1.25 million) and 60,000 yuan (about ¥1.44 million), respectively. Both trims have a rated range of 530 km under China's CLTC test conditions.
The new S3 535ULTRA LiDAR battery-swap version carries a 192-line LiDAR and is promoted for its navigation-based driver assistance (NOA) on urban roads and highways, as well as automated parking. The manufacturer's suggested price with a battery lease is 85,300 yuan (about ¥2.04 million). With a limited-time subsidy for those who meet certain conditions, the price is 78,800 yuan (about ¥1.89 million).
This is not the first time the S3 has supported battery swapping. In an April 2026 announcement, battery maker CATL introduced the S3 Choco-Swap version as the first BAIC Group vehicle with the technology. CATL said at the time that buying the car and leasing the battery lowers the upfront burden, and that a swap takes 99 seconds. The new S3 adds a trim with richer driver-assistance features.
Separating vehicle price, monthly lease and free swap vouchers
The S3's 78,800 yuan (about ¥1.89 million) is the vehicle price for buyers who qualify for the subsidy; 5,000 km a month is the battery lease's mileage allowance; and the free swaps are 20 swaps valid for 180 days. Sorting Arcfox's published S3 sales terms, T1 sales terms and T1 battery lease fee table by purchase, monthly and limited-time items gives the following.
| Timing | Item | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| At purchase | S3 535ULTRA vehicle price of 78,800 yuan (about ¥1.89 million) | Applies to battery-lease, non-commercial vehicles, when trade-in subsidy and Douyin voucher conditions are met |
| Monthly | T1 household battery lease of 399 yuan (about ¥9,600), with a 5,000 km monthly mileage allowance | Promotional price. The mileage allowance is part of the battery lease contract |
| Limited time | 20 free battery swaps | Non-commercial vehicles only. Order, enrollment and voucher collection must occur within set deadlines; valid for 180 days from collection |
Note: Conditions for the S3 and T1 announced around the same time are organized by purpose. Amounts, distances and application periods differ for each.
The 6,500 yuan (about ¥156,000) gap from the S3's suggested price consists of a 5,500 yuan (about ¥132,000) trade-in subsidy and an effective 1,000 yuan (about ¥24,000) discount from a Douyin voucher. The voucher can be bought for 1,000 yuan (about ¥24,000) between November 13 and December 31, 2026, and used in store to take 2,000 yuan (about ¥48,000) off the vehicle price. It is valid for one month from purchase. In short, the 78,800 yuan (about ¥1.89 million) price applies to non-commercial vehicles meeting these conditions.
To gauge monthly costs, take the T1's official fee table as an example. The household battery lease is 399 yuan (about ¥9,600) a month, and the monthly mileage allowance has been expanded from the previous 3,000 km to 5,000 km. Another plan costs 599 yuan (about ¥14,300) a month and is listed with unlimited monthly mileage. This is the battery lease's mileage allowance, separate from any free allowance for power services.
If the same monthly fee ran for five years, or 60 months, lease fees alone would come to 23,940 yuan (about ¥573,000) on the 399 yuan plan and 35,940 yuan (about ¥860,000) on the 599 yuan plan. The 399 yuan figure is a promotional price, so the application period and charges for exceeding 5,000 km need to be confirmed at the time of contract. These estimates do not include the vehicle purchase cost or power service charges incurred during swaps.
The free swaps come as vouchers for 20 swaps for non-commercial vehicles. New and existing owners of eligible battery-swap versions must confirm their order before December 31, 2026, join the Choco-Swap battery swap network before January 31, 2027, and collect the voucher before February 5. Battery-lease users enroll by signing the service vehicle information form on the delivery date.
The voucher becomes valid immediately after collection and expires after 180 days. It can be collected once per person per chassis number, so buyers need to weigh when and how often they expect to use it.
Expanding compatible models means expanding the swap network
Even if buyers meet the purchase conditions, the convenience of swapping is limited without stations in the places they usually drive. In 2024, CATL announced standardized battery sizes, the 20# and 25#, as part of a push toward common swap specifications. If compatible vehicles use batteries of a shared standard, the groundwork is laid for different models to share the same network.
In an October 2026 strategic agreement, BAIC Group and CATL said they would connect compatible vehicles from multiple BAIC brands to CATL's network, aiming for 1 million compatible vehicles. They also outlined plans for BAIC to open its dealer network and for CATL to use store resources to speed up swap station construction. The two companies will also consider joint operation. As compatible models increase, so will the users of the shared network, and using dealership sites for stations could widen the choice of swap locations.
According to CATL, as of April 2026 China had more than 1,470 stations in total across 99 cities. The company had projected more than 3,000 stations in about 190 cities by the end of 2026. The April figure is an actual count and the year-end figure is a forecast, so whether a station is usable in one's daily area needs to be checked individually.
Standardizing specifications and tapping dealer networks are efforts to grow both compatible models and swap stations. For buyers, the deciding factors include the location of stations reachable from home or along a commute, as well as the battery lease fees and swap costs that continue after the free vouchers expire.