Nio, the Chinese electric car group which recently celebrated producing more than one million vehicles, has officially opened its new research and development facility at Witney, Oxfordshire.
The facility brings together Nio’s UK-based teams who’ve previously been split across two locations since it first set up a UK base in 2016. It has participated in all Nio’s global vehicle development programmes, from the EP9 electric supercar launched in 2016, through to the ET9, its executive flagship EV.
It has also worked on the development of Nio’s third brand, Firefly, including its first compact EV which is mooted to be heading for UK roads when the group finally starts car sales in the UK.
More than 40 people will now be based at Book End, Witney, in the dedicated computer aided engineering (CAE) workspace and vehicle laboratory.
Nio said the new R&D centre will support closer collaboration across the UK team and provide a more spacious and efficient base for future vehicle development work.
The official opening of the new facility was attended by senior Nio representatives and guests, including Mark Zhou, Nio’s executive vice president and product committee chairman, Hui Zhang, vice president of Nio Europe; and Mike Hawes, chief executive of the, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT); and Yu Benlin, minister at the Chinese Embassy in the UK.
Zhang said: “For a decade, our Oxfordshire team has been an integral part of Nio’s global R&D network, contributing to multiple vehicle programmes and engineering innovations across our global portfolio. As we celebrate this milestone, we thank the team for its dedication, expertise and contribution to NIO’s development over the past 10 years.
“The opening of our new Witney R&D centre reflects our long-term commitment to the UK, Europe and international collaboration in advancing smart electric mobility.”
The UK R&D operation serves as Nio Europe’s focal point for AI regulation and representation within the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers’ (OICA) AI Cluster through the SMMT. Additionally, the team contributes to EU policy and regulatory engagement through UNECE working groups and industry consultations.
Hawes at the SMMT added: “This investment highlights the UK’s enduring strength as a centre of automotive collaboration and engineering excellence. Nio’s decision to consolidate its R&D activity here in a new, state of the art facility also reflects the depth of British talent and expertise in next-generation vehicle technologies. It is a timely reminder that amid fierce global competition for investment, the UK can continue to attract and grow high-value innovation, supporting jobs, skills and the transition to zero-emission mobility.”
Nio has R&D centres and manufacturing facilities in locations including Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Nanjing, San Jose, Munich, Oxford, Budapest, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.
Nio’s strategy in its domestic and European markets has been to establish battery changing stations to help buyers get further easilty.
