While the rest of the world is arguing about charging times, a Chinese automaker just launched an electric sedan that lets you swap its entire battery pack faster than most people make a decent cup of coffee.

GAC Aion officially unveiled the RT Super on April 8, 2026 (via CarNewsChina), a mid-size sedan with an entry price of roughly $13,000, as part of the companys battery rental or subscription scheme. In other words, buyers pay for the car body upfront while leasing the battery separately for around $58 per month.

GAC Aion RT Super swaps battery at a CATL choco-swap station. pic.twitter.com/5HpyAoOTsV

Liu Miao (@liumiao) April 9, 2026

　　How does RT Supers battery subscription model work?

Although it may sound unusual at first, a subscription model for batteries (also called battery-as-a-service) is growing quite popular in Chinas EV market (and in the nascent yet expanding Indian EV market, too). The pricing model essentially separates the battery from the upfront price, making EVs more accessible to a wider audience.

Recommended Videos Anyways, coming back to the RT Super, it carries a 54 kWh CATL battery pack, which claims to deliver a range of around 314 miles on a single charge. Furthermore, it can accelerate from 0 to 100 60 mph in around 7.5 seconds, all thanks to the powerful 150 kW motor.

For those whod rather plug in the sedan than swap batteries, fast charging takes the battery from 30% to 80% in around 26 minutes. For everyone else, GAC Aion is betting on the cars battery-swapping ability.

　　Can 99 seconds actually replace a trip to the EV charging station?

Using CATLs Choco-SEB battery swap platform, buyers should be able to replace a depleted battery pack for a fully charged one in under 100 seconds. Even if that time extends to two or three minutes, it would still be much, much faster than the time EVs take for a complete recharge.

Inside, buyers get a 14.6-inch central display, Huawei HiCar 4.0 connectivity, dual-zone climate control, and a lifetime powertrain warranty. If the EV performs well in one of the largest EV markets in the world, it could help frame battery swapping as a mainstream refueling model for EVs.