Chinese carmaker NIO is reportedly one of the potential buyers for Audi's production site in Brussels, as a delegation from the company made a visit to the Forest plant in recent weeks.
As reported by De Tijd newspaper, NIO is considering a bid on the Audi Brussels site, which it would have to submit to the Volkswagen Group by next Monday.
In July, Audi Brussels announced plans to restructure its site in Forest, which currently employs around 3,000 people. The German carmaker cited a slowdown in demand for the electric Q8 e-tron models produced in Brussels.
By September, it was confirmed that there are no plans to produce any Volkswagen Group car models at its Forest site in the coming years. A meeting between management and trade unions on Tuesday 17 Septemer confirmed that Audi Brussels has found no other economically viable use for the plant.
This means that finding an investor is now the only realistic hope to prevent closure, and the potential loss of 1,500 jobs from October, followed by a further 1,100 next year.
China eyes up EU production base
Sources have indicated that Chinese carmaker NIO is one of the potential investors who could take over the Audi Brussels plant. The Shanghai headquartered manufacturer specialises in electric vehicles and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The car company first entered the European market in 2021, but sales of NIO cars in Europe have failed to take off.
NIO's financial results show that the company has been making losses for a decade, as last year the carmaker reported revenues of $7.8 billion (€6.99 billion) but a net loss of $756 million (€678 million).
The interest of a Chinese manufacturer in a European site comes after EU regulators cracked down on imported Chinese electric vehicles. Steep tariffs on vehicles produced in China and imported into the EU means that Chinese manufacturers are now looking for production opportunities within Europe.
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Audi Brussels spokesman Peter D'hoore did not want to comment substantively on Wednesday, telling De Tijd: "We communicate, as required by the Renault Act, first and foremost during the special works councils with the staff".
Among the unions, there is cautious optimism about NIO's interest. "The fact that it is a Chinese carmaker is no objection: the main thing is to keep as many jobs as possible permanently'" ACV-Metea's chief representative Ronny Liedts told the paper.
