Nio has emerged as a possible buyer of the Audi plant in Belgium, as it looks to avoid costly new EU import tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars.

An offer will be submitted to Audi parent company the Volkswagen Group by 23 September, Belgian newspaper De Tijd has reported, citing “reliable sources”.

Audi has already confirmed that it will stop production at the factory – which opened in 1949 – after the last example of the Q8 E-tron electric SUV rolls off the line in 2025. 

As previously reported by Autocar, this is part of a major cost-cutting operation by the Volkswagen Group, which has also placed two German plants on the chopping block.

Chinese EV firm Nio’s interest in the plant comes as it faces a 20.8% tariff for access to European markets, on top of the usual 10% levy.

However, any purchase of the Audi site is expected to come with stipulations regarding job guarantees for its 2910 employees.

Nio began selling EVs in selected European markets in 2021. However, sales volumes and market penetration remain limited.

Modeles sold in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are the ET5 and ET7 saloons, ET5 Touring estate and EL6, EL7 and EL8 SUVs. All are exclusively produced in Hefei, China.

Nio recently established a second, more mainstream EV brand named Onvo, the first model from which is a mid-sized crossover to rival the Tesla Model Y.

It's also preparing a third, even more affordable brand named Firefly.

“The relationship between Firefly and Nio is similar to the relationship between Mini and BMW: it will be a high-quality small car,” said Nio CEO William Li.