Nio launches first solar-powered, off-grid battery swap station in Gobi Desert

Nio has launched the world’s first zero-carbon, off-grid battery swap station powered entirely by solar energy and storage. Located in the Xingxingxia service area of the Gobi Desert in Xinjiang, China, the station operates along the G30 Lianyungang-Horgos Expressway.

By utilizing solar generation and energy storage, the facility functions without a connection to the traditional power grid. This development is intended to facilitate the expansion of Nio’s energy network into remote regions where grid coverage is limited and conventional infrastructure expansion would be prohibitively expensive or difficult due to extreme desert temperatures and high winds.

The station utilizes hardware provided by Longi Green Energy Technology, including the Longi Block mobile energy station and the H2D energy storage system. Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong stated that this project serves as a test for off-grid battery swapping, providing a blueprint for future deployments in similar environments.