Gasgoo Munich- On May 7, NIO announced that its Hexi Corridor battery swap route will officially open on May 10. As a key milestone before the full opening, NIO's charging station and battery swap station at the Bulongji service area along the G30 Lianhuo Expressway in Guazhou, Jiuquan, Gansu, went live that same day — marking the final countdown for this crucial energy corridor in northwest China.
Image source: NIO
According to official details, the route spans 1,739 kilometers from Xi'an in the east to Dunhuang in the west, with 20 battery swap stations spaced roughly 87 kilometers apart. Once operational, NIO and ONVO users will be able to drive all the way to Dunhuang relying solely on battery swaps — eliminating the need for charging and addressing a major pain point for long-distance EV travel in the northwest.
The Bulongji service area station represents the final piece needed to complete the entire route. Located along a core section of the Hexi Corridor, it serves the main traffic flow on the Lianhuo Expressway and will become a vital energy hub connecting central and western Gansu.
As of May 7, NIO has built 8,849 power stations nationwide — including 3,839 battery swap stations and 5,010 charging stations — with cumulative swap services exceeding 100 million.
The Hexi Corridor route marks the first phase of NIO's Silk Road battery swap network. By the end of September, the full Silk Road route will extend to Khorgos in Xinjiang, spanning 3,448 kilometers with over 30 swap stations. At that point, users will be able to depart from any swap station nationwide and reach every provincial-level administrative region in mainland China using battery swaps alone.
The opening of the Hexi Corridor route further strengthens NIO's energy network in remote northwest regions, offering a viable new option for long-distance EV road trips. Once fully completed, it will help drive new-energy vehicle adoption in western markets — and provide a reference point for cross-regional charging infrastructure across the industry.
