Nio Power partnered with state-backed developer Poly Property Group on November 11 to install electric vehicle battery swap stations and charging points across commercial and residential developments in China.

The agreement gives the carmaker access to prime real estate footprint, building on a network that already counts 4,252 swap stations and 5,584 charging stations nationwide.

Signed in Shanghai by executives including Nio chief financial officer and Nio Power head Stanley Qu, the partnership targets existing and pipeline developments. The installations will focus on residential communities, commercial office complexes and industrial parks in major Chinese urban centres. Neither company disclosed the initial capital outlay or the exact station count.

Beyond concrete foundations and swap bays, the contract links station operations with retail foot traffic. The two groups agreed to coordinate vehicle sales, showroom locations, user services and operational data management. Energy balancing forms the second tier of the arrangement, combining rooftop solar installations, localized battery storage and vehicle-to-grid power distribution across Poly Property communities.

Poly Property operates as a primary real estate vehicle for China Poly Group. Its holdings span commercial plazas and high-density apartment blocks across multiple Chinese cities, offering Nio pre-cleared land access in zones where retrofitting heavy electrical infrastructure normally faces strict local property board approvals.

For commercial landlords, bringing power swap hardware on site changes consumer dwell time, shifting footfall toward brief convenience purchases rather than long restaurant visits.

Competitors across China continue to rely on open-access fast-charging partnerships or third-party depot operators. Nio has chosen a heavier route, shouldering the capital footprint of dedicated swap infrastructure to control the ownership experience.

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