How to Refill Coolant in a NIO and When It’s Necessary
My NIO eL7 is the first car where I’ve actively had to refill coolant. A warning message on the vehicle display notified me that the coolant level was too low. This initially surprised me, as I wasn’t accustomed to this type of maintenance. In this post, I’ll explain step by step how you can refill the coolant in your NIO. Additionally, I’ll discuss where the coolant might have gone and what could have caused the loss.
Renick Büttner
Senior Software Engineer & Certified IT-Expert · Working in IT since 2014.
Refilling Coolant in Your NIO:
Quick and Easy in Just a Few Steps
Even though electric cars generally require little maintenance, it may occasionally be necessary to refill the coolant in a NIO. It’s important to use only the coolant specifically designed for NIO vehicles. Under no circumstances should foreign coolants be used, as they could damage the system. In an emergency, a small amount of distilled water might suffice to get you to the nearest Power Swap Station, where an adequate supply of the correct coolant is always available.
Before refilling: After a drive, the coolant may still be hot. Allow the vehicle to cool down for a while before proceeding!
Refilling is straightforward:
- Open the hood using the lever in the footwell beneath the steering wheel.
- After releasing the hood slightly, push the center lever to the left to fully unlock it.
- The coolant filler neck is easily accessible under the covers.
- Unscrew the cap and check the level using the minimum and maximum indicators in the reservoir.
- After refilling, securely screw the cap back on and allow the hood to close safely by dropping it from about 30 cm.
Power Swap Station:
Why is coolant consumed during a battery swap?
Refilling coolant in a NIO is relatively simple, but why does it even become necessary? The answer lies in the unique technology behind NIO’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS). Users with a BaaS subscription rent their battery and can swap it at Power Swap Stations across Europe in just a few minutes. While this process is quick and efficient, it presents one challenge:
The high-voltage battery is an actively cooled component with a closed coolant circuit. During a battery swap, it’s possible for more coolant to be lost than the new battery replenishes. After several swaps, the coolant level may drop low enough to trigger a warning message in the vehicle. To address this issue, all Power Swap Stations maintain a supply of NIO’s specialized coolant.
Through the NIO app, you can book a free (at least I got it for free) refill service, which will be performed on-site. It is particularly important to use only the original coolant to prevent contamination of the cooling system and the Power Swap Stations.
