Il Volkswagen Group must close some factories and the Chinese could buy them, very interested in producing in Europe to avoid the duties on cars imported from China. By Monday 23 September the German Group will receive aPurchase offer from NIO which is interested in buying the Audi factory in Belgium, in the town of Vorst, near Brussels.
The news was reported by Belgian news agency De Tijd, according to which a delegation from NIO visited the plant in recent weeks to evaluate its purchase.
No more Q8 e-tron
The Volkswagen Group had already decided not to produce Audis in Vorst anymore (the Q8 e-tron will be the last one) and there are some things at stake 2,910 jobs. Since the beginning of September there have been several protests in the factory against the closure of the plant.
Incidentally, the Audi factory in Brussels was the first of the German company to be declared Carbon Zero.
The Audi factory in Belgium
NIO, which is banking heavily on Europe like other Chinese giants, could therefore make use of these assembly lines. Its cars (also branded ONVO and FireFly) are currently on sale in Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark and this acquisition, if it goes through, could allow it to debut in Belgium.
The vote of September 25th
An equally decisive turning point will be EU vote on tariffs scheduled for September 25. In June, NIO had expressed its opposition to additional European tariffs, but confirmed its strong interest in selling cars in Europe.
The Chinese company is currently facing arate of 20.8%which is in addition to the original 10% tax. Stay tuned to stay informed.
