NIO antes up on battery making, reportedly poaching talents from Apple, Panasonic

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese electric vehicle startup NIO is reportedly actively seeking talents for its battery project, including recruiting high-level executives from Apple and Panasonic, according to a local media outlet. 

Photo credit: NIO

Shawn Hao, a veteran from the battery industry, and Zack Izaki, the North American technical general manager of Panasonic Batteries, are said to be among the high-profile executives who have recently joined NIO and report to NIO’s vice president Zeng Shuxiang.

Shawn Hao previously worked for DaimlerChrysler (the now Mercedes-Benz Group AG ) and later joined A123, a battery company under the Wanxiang Group. On the other hand, Zack Izaki has extensive experience in battery engineering, including leading Panasonic Batteries's engineering team in North America, where he established a team for the production of battery packs for the Tesla Model 3 at the Nevada Gigafactory, a joint venture between Panasonic and Tesla.

Since announcing its plan to develop its own batteries last year, NIO has invested substantial resources in the business. On February 24, NIO's self-made battery factory began construction with a planned production capacity of 40 GWh, and it will produce NIO's in-house developed large-sized cylindrical batteries.

On the same day, the auto startup also held a battery technology partner forum. NIO's chairman and CEO, William Bin Li, disclosed that NIO's battery R&D team has exceeded 800 members, and the company’s estimated annual R&D investment for batteries will surpass 1 billion yuan per year.

Notably, last year, the CEO announced that NIO would adopt a strategy of using both self-produced and external procurement for its batteries. Moreover, NIO’s homemade batteries will be mounted to its upcoming Alps vehicle model in 2024.