Nio confirmed on Friday that it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Bosch during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China, disclosing the full scope of the partnership across its three brands and the technology domains it covers.
As reported by EV on Thursday, the Chinese EV maker Nio and the German giant Bosch signed a “strategic cooperation agreement on Advanced Smart Electric Vehicle Technology.”
In a social media post published on Friday, the Shanghai-based EV maker said the agreement covers all its three brands: Nio, Onvo, and Firefly.
The deal spans drive-by-wire chassis, battery management systems, brake control, steering systems, powertrain systems, body electronics, and perception modules.
The deal was signed during the high-level German trade delegation’s visit to Beijing, which Nio described as a “high-standard economic and trade delegation.”
Shen Feng, Nio‘s Executive VP and Chairman of its Quality Management Committee, and Shu Mayao, President of Bosch Global Business Services Asia Pacific and Board Member of Bosch China, signed the agreement.
The agreement was formalized alongside other Sino-German business deals, including a BMW-CATL memorandum of understanding on cross-border industrial data.
Great Hall
Nio said its founder, Chairman, and CEO William Li attended the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee symposium on the afternoon of February 25 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The symposium was co-chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Chancellor Merz and it was attended by more than 60 Chinese and German corporate representatives.
According to the company, Li Bin “offered proposals on topics including green and low-carbon development, digital transformation, supply chain stability, and the bilateral investment environment.”
Additionally, Nio said that its founder and CEO “held in-depth discussions with representatives of German automakers on how to achieve mutual benefit amid the global automotive industry’s transition toward electrification and intelligent technology.”
Second Bosch Deal
The agreement marks the second major strategic partnership between Bosch and the EV maker, nearly eight years after the two companies signed their first cooperation agreement in Berlin in July 2018.
That ceremony also took place during a state visit — with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in attendance — establishing a pattern of high-level diplomatic framing for the Bosch-Nio relationship.
The 2018 deal focused on sensor technology, automated driving, electric motor controls, and intelligent transport systems.
At the time, Nio’s ES8 — its first mass-production vehicle — already contained around 20 key Bosch components, including driver assistance systems, control units, radar sensors, and the iBooster electromechanical brake booster. Bosch China described Nio as “one of the company’s top customers.”
The 2026 agreement significantly increases the scope.
While the 2018 partnership centered on sensor and driver assistance technology, the new deal extends into drive-by-wire chassis systems, battery management, and powertrain — areas that touch the fundamental architecture of Nio‘s vehicles.
The inclusion of all three brands — from the premium Nio lineup to the mass-market Onvo and the compact Firefly — signals that Bosch components will be integrated across the EV maker’s full product range.
Nio in Germany
In its Friday post, Nio emphasized its growing presence in Germany. The company established its Global Design Center in the country in 2015, opened the Berlin Innovation Center in 2023, and launched the Brandenburg Intelligent Driving Center in 2024.
However, Nio‘s German sales have been slumping.
The company registered just one vehicle in Germany in January — matching its weakest month since entering the market in October 2022.
Across its five original European markets, Nio brand registrations fell 31% year over year in 2025 to 1,129 vehicles.
