Nio (NYSE: NIO) has built its first battery swap station powered entirely by solar energy in Xinjiang, opening a new path for expanding its energy network into remote areas with limited grid coverage.

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker announced on Wednesday that the station at the Xingxingxia service area in Xinjiang had officially begun operations, calling it the world's first zero-carbon, off-grid battery swap station powered by solar energy and storage.

Located along the G30 Lianyungang-Horgos Expressway on the route into Xinjiang, the station meets all its electricity needs through solar generation and energy storage, without relying on the power grid, Nio said.

The project marks Nio's first deployment validating off-grid battery swapping and will provide experience for expansion into similar areas, co-founder and president Qin Lihong said at the opening.

Xingxingxia lies in the Gobi Desert in eastern Xinjiang, where grid coverage is limited. Conventional grid expansion would require power lines across vast stretches of desert, involving lengthy construction and high costs, Nio said.

The area experiences winds of force 8 or higher on more than 100 days a year. Summer ground temperatures can exceed 70 degrees Celsius, while extreme winter temperatures drop to minus 30 degrees, posing challenges for equipment operation.

The station uses Chinese solar giant Longi's Longi Block mobile energy station and Longi H2D energy storage system, automatically switching operating modes based on sunlight conditions to support 24-hour operation.

During the day, solar generation powers the swap station directly, with surplus electricity stored in the energy storage system.

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