According to Belgian media outlet De Tijd., Chinese manufacturer Nio is preparing a takeover bid for the Audi plant in Brussels, which Volkswagen Group has announced it wants to sell due to poor sales of the Q8 e-Tron produced there. Representatives of the Belgian trade unions told Automobilwoche that a delegation of potential Chinese investors had visited the Brussels plant.
Audi factory threatened with closure in Belgium
As a reminder, Brussels’ injunctions to ban the sale of new thermal models by 2035, as well as the initiatives of manufacturers, no longer seem to be enough to influence the market. Audi, affected by the slowdown in demand for battery electric vehicles (BEV) and the general decline in orders in the luxury electric car segment, has decided to stop production of its Q8 e-tron.
A strategic choice that could jeopardize its Belgian plant in Brussels. This site, which employs 3,000 people, is currently threatened with closure. In the absence of a solution, the manufacturer does not rule out a complete cessation of activity, faced with the logistics costs and restructuring challenges of a site located in a dense urban environment. Such a decision would be a first for the Volkswagen group since the closure of Westmoreland, Alabama, in 1988.
Nio wants to set up in Europe
Chinese manufacturer Nio thus appears as a potential buyer, which would allow it to escape the new customs duties (21%) that Europe will implement from next November. Nio sold 1,777 cars in Europe during the first 8 months, led by the ET7 sedan, according to market analyst Dataforce.
In terms of its electric models, Nio is clearly positioned on the premium side and currently offers five fully electric models: EL6, EL7, ES8, ET5 and ET7. To arrive in Europe, the brand is reportedly preparing a model positioned on the B segment for 2025. On the sales side, the Chinese manufacturer has sold 500,000 cars since its creation in 2014 and 160,000 last year. Like any start-up that starts up, Nio is posting a loss of three billion dollars.
With an announced autonomy of 600 km for a price starting at 50,000 euros, Nio is part of this galaxy of Chinese brands that can try their luck in Europe. Note that the NIO model is packed with sensors, notably thanks to Lidar technology. Another characteristic of this Chinese neo-manufacturer: technology is at the heart of its development since a third of its workforce out of the group’s 32,000 employees, work in R&D. An all-round technology since Nio marketed its own mobile phone a few months ago in order to create a bridge between the car and the driver.
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