Chinese electric carmaker NIO plans to open its first overseas factory in September to produce battery exchange stations.
“The plant, located in Pest, Hungary, will develop and manufacture electrification products such as battery exchange stations for users in Europe,” Nio said in a statement.
The construction of battery exchange stations in Europe will help the company to expand their electric vehicle sales in Europe such as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
NIO has also announced a partnership with Shell PLC that includes building battery swap stations globally, starting with China and Europe this year.
“Shell will open its charging network in Europe to Nio users,” the company said.
NIO targets to build 4,000 battery swap stations worldwide, of which a quarter are located outside China.
China is one of the largest electric vehicle markets in the world apart from Europe and North America. Currently, more and more electric vehicle manufacturers and battery manufacturers from China are expanding the global market.
Chinese battery maker Gotion High Tech Co in June targeted that by 2025 it would be a third of its production capacity outside China. Gotion High Tech Co has announced construction of its first overseas battery plant in Gottingen, Germany, which will begin at the end of this year.
