Gasgoo Munich- NIO announced on September 23 that what it described as the world's first zero-carbon, off-grid solar-and-storage battery swap station had begun operations in Xingxingxia, Xinjiang.
Key Takeaways
·The project is NIO's first operational test of an off-grid battery swap station. Solar power is its sole energy source, while an integrated storage system allows the facility to operate independently of the external grid.
·Equipped with a LONGi BLOCK mobile energy station and LONGi's H2D energy-storage system, the site automatically switches among daytime solar supply, nighttime storage discharge and an emergency mode for extended cloudy conditions. NIO said it can operate unattended and provide round-the-clock service.
·The station supports NIO's 3,605-kilometer Silk Road battery swap route, which is scheduled to become fully operational on September 26 with 33 swap stations.
Why It Matters
Xingxingxia is located in the Gobi desert of eastern Xinjiang, where grid coverage is limited and extending conventional power lines would require substantial construction across the desert. The area also experiences more than 100 days a year of winds at force 8 or above, summer ground temperatures exceeding 70°C and winter lows of minus 30°C. These conditions make the site a demanding real-world test of off-grid energy supply for battery swapping.
Image source: NIO
Data and Evidence
As of September 23, 2026, NIO reported that it had deployed 9,410 charging and battery swap stations across China, comprising 4,109 battery swap stations and 5,301 charging stations. The company said that total ranked first in the industry. Its network included 1,060 highway battery swap stations, connecting more than 550 cities through a system covering nine north-south routes, 11 east-west routes and 16 major urban clusters.
What to Watch Next
NIO said it had opened 92 scenic EV charging and battery swap routes since August 2025 and plans to increase the total to 100 during 2026.
