Nio is set to begin construction of its new China headquarters in Hefei, as the electric vehicle maker consolidates its operations and deepens links with the Anhui provincial capital, which is its production base.
According to planning documents released by the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, the project — named Intelligent Technology Park Phase VI (North Plot) — has been approved for development and is now entering the construction stage.
The plans show a high-rise tower complex with a total construction area of nearly 72,000 square metres, including 43,969 square metres above ground and 28,003 square metres underground.
The headquarters building will occupy a 17,587 square metre plot in Hefei’s Shushan District, close to Nio’s two existing vehicle plants and its battery manufacturing facilities.
The approved scheme specifies a floor area ratio of 2.5, building density of 28.5%, and a greening rate of 35%. Parking facilities for 724 vehicles will be included, of which 668 will be underground.
Local automotive blogger Arthur Shen wrote on X on Monday that “the construction of Nio Group’s China headquarters building is about to begin in Hefei, China,” adding that he expects the opening to take place within two years.
The new headquarters project underscores Hefei’s role as Nio’s manufacturing hub.
The company operates two factories in the city and will soon expand capacity further.
William Li, Nio’s founder and chief executive, said that its third factory in Hefei — known as the F3 plant — will officially begin production in September.
Some production lines at the new site will operate on a two-shift schedule when needed, Li revealed in the previous earnings conference call.
Nio has also reinforced its financial links with the city and the province.
Last September, the company signed agreements with three strategic investors in Nio Holding Co., Ltd. — Hefei Jianheng New Energy Automobile Investment Fund Partnership, Anhui Provincial Emerging Industry Investment Co., Ltd. and CS Capital Co., Ltd.
The three funds agreed to invest a combined 3.3 billion yuan in cash, while Nio pledged to contribute 10 billion yuan to subscribe for newly issued shares of Nio China.
In parallel, the group has been increasing the registered capital across several key mainland subsidiaries.
Last month, filings on Qichacha, one of China’s largest corporate database platforms, showed that Nio Sales and Services Co., Ltd. — which manages domestic distribution and after-sales operations — more than doubled its registered capital from 11 billion yuan ($1.53 billion) to 23 billion yuan ($3.2 billion).
Nio Technology (Anhui) Co., Ltd., responsible for engineering and R&D and employing more than 6,000 people, raised its registered capital by 44 per cent from 18 billion yuan ($2.05 billion) to 26 billion yuan ($3.62 billion).
The EV maker has also moved to strengthen its energy arm.
In June, Nio more than doubled the registered capital of Wuhan Nio Energy Co., Ltd. to 1.784 billion yuan ($248 million), just months after battery supplier CATL committed up to $346 million into the affiliate.
At the holding level, Nio Holdings Limited raised its capital to 8.257 billion yuan earlier this year, following a 1 billion yuan injection in October 2023 and another 428 million yuan in December.
Nio Automotive Technology Ltd. tripled its registered capital from 6 billion yuan to 18 billion yuan in late 2023.
Last week, Li said the company is moving from years of heavy investment into what he described as a “harvest period,” while reaffirming the target of achieving profitability in Q4.
The company said earlier this year that, as part of the cost-cutting push, it aimed to limit R&D expenses to between 2 billion and 2.5 billion yuan ($278 million–$348 million) per quarter — representing a year-on-year reduction of 20% to 25%.
