NIO to build own factory in Shanghai

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- NIO’s second factory will be located in Jiading District, Shanghai, according to a local media. People familiar with the matter said that the factory will cover 800 mu (about 533,333 square meters) and the automaker will begin to construct the factory in the middle of this year.

NIO will build the factory on its own, rather than jointly establishing the factory with Jianghuai Automobile, just like its first factory in Hefei. It is revealed that the first mass-produced model, ES8 will be built in its Hefei factory while the factory in Shanghai will produce its future models.

Actually, early in December, 2016, NIO and NIO Capital entered into strategic partnership with Hubei province and signed agreement with Hubei Yangtze River Industry Fund and Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone. In accordance with the agreement, NIO new energy industry development fund would be launched in Wuhan and the companies would invest no less than RMB 20 billion to build an intelligent new energy vehicle industry park in Wuhan East Lake District. At that time, this cooperation suggested that NIO may build its own factory in Hubei province. But up to now, there is no progress news about the corporation. 

Recently, it is reported that NIO will start to deliver its first mass-produced model, ES8, to customers from the end of April. The first 10,000 vehicles of the Founder Edition will all be delivered to customers by September.

The new factory news comes after only one month after the start-up named its quality vice president. In December, 2017, Dr. Feng Shen, former president of Volvo Cars China R&D and president of China Operations for Polestar, joined NIO as quality vice president and the chairman of quality steering committee.