The Chinese electric car startup Nio has its vehicles designed in Munich. The company's executives explained to WirtschaftsWoche what they like about the Bavarian capital.
Full of praise is Hui Zhang, Managing Director of Nio GmbH in Munich, about the location. They chose Munich to build an international team. The Chinese company finds international talent much easier in Germany than if they had to bring them to Shanghai or Beijing, Zhang told the WirtschaftsWoche:
“Munich is the first location for automotive designers, offers the best access to the supplier industry, and is considered one of the cities with the best quality of life worldwide.”
The Money for development The company sources its autonomous electric car from, among others, the Chinese internet group Tencent.
Nio benefits from BMW know-how
More than 140 designers, marketing and IT experts from 29 countries work on four floors in the Bogenhausen office, with the average age being just 35. Many of the Nio employees were previously employed in the automotive industry in and around Munich. Kris TomassonThe New Yorker of Icelandic descent is chief designer at Nio. Previously, he was responsible for the design of BMW's electric cars. Nio founder William Li personally approached him, according to Tomasson. And he didn't go to the Chinese electric car manufacturer alone; he brought several BMW team members with him to his new employer. Nio has a clear plan for what they want to achieve with the German automotive know-how:
“We are currently concentrating on developing cars according to European standards for the Chinese market,”
Tomasson told WirtschaftsWoche.
“We take the good qualities that have helped German cars in particular achieve such a high reputation worldwide: quality, expertise, design, and materials.”
Nevertheless, Nio wants to be more than a BMW imitation: As soon as you open the car door, you see the big difference. The car's design is geared toward autonomous driving, and the interior is a second living room. The departure from the traditional automotive industry is also evident in another aspect: The Chinese company's first electric SUV will not be presented at an auto show, as is usually the case, but at the annual conference of the Munich-based semiconductor manufacturer Infineon.
