Photo: NIO/Yicai
NIO said long ago that it intends to sell its vehicles abroad and the best example of that is its presence in Norway, soon to expand to Germany and other European countries. According to Yicai, the American market is also on the plans: NIO is hiring people in the U.S. who can only work in a factory.
The job descriptions include logistics project manager, auto manufacturing industrial park planners, infrastructure engineers, body craft experts, and other positions. In some of them, NIO demands at least ten years of experience in “blueprint planning and design of OEMs.” And things do not stop there: this person should also have been responsible for “at least one U.S. factory project,” must have a “rich knowledge in state policies, design standard, and approval process,” and be familiar with “process planning and blueprint planning principles in the U.S.” In other words, these job positions have “U.S. factory” written all over them.
NIO told Yicai that it had nothing to disclose about an American factory. That’s an intelligent way to dodge any explanation: it can just mean that it does not want to share any plans at this point. According to Yicai’s sources, NIO will need these professionals before selecting any site for its American plant.
These sources also told Yicai that NIO plans to start production cautiously. The first vehicles for the American market will be produced from CKD (Completely Knocked-Down) or SKD (Semi Knocked Down) kits, meaning the investments will be lower.
That is a good form of testing demand at a lower cost than a complete manufacturing operation would imply while skipping import taxes. Tesla could have thought about something similar for its Indian operations. As we reported a while ago, it just gave up on selling in that market, leaving many Model 3 reservation holders without their deposits and any perspective of getting their cars.
If NIO confirms these intentions when the right time comes, American customers will finally get a taste of the most successful battery-swapping technology the automotive world has seen so far. NIO will start building its second swap station in Vestby, Norway. It will help Norwegian customers traveling between Oslo and Gothenburg. Make your bets about where the American plant will be.
NIO told Yicai that it had nothing to disclose about an American factory. That’s an intelligent way to dodge any explanation: it can just mean that it does not want to share any plans at this point. According to Yicai’s sources, NIO will need these professionals before selecting any site for its American plant.
These sources also told Yicai that NIO plans to start production cautiously. The first vehicles for the American market will be produced from CKD (Completely Knocked-Down) or SKD (Semi Knocked Down) kits, meaning the investments will be lower.
That is a good form of testing demand at a lower cost than a complete manufacturing operation would imply while skipping import taxes. Tesla could have thought about something similar for its Indian operations. As we reported a while ago, it just gave up on selling in that market, leaving many Model 3 reservation holders without their deposits and any perspective of getting their cars.
If NIO confirms these intentions when the right time comes, American customers will finally get a taste of the most successful battery-swapping technology the automotive world has seen so far. NIO will start building its second swap station in Vestby, Norway. It will help Norwegian customers traveling between Oslo and Gothenburg. Make your bets about where the American plant will be.
Google News