plans to build 31 R&D labs for lithium-ion cell and battery pack R&D, and will build one lithium-ion cell pilot production line and one battery pack production line.

Nio said to have brought in new battery supplier other than CATL-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Nio (NYSE: NIO, HKG: 9866, SGX: Nio) plans to invest RMB 218.5 million ($32.8 million) in Shanghai, where its global headquarters is located, to build lithium-ion battery labs and a cell pilot production line, an environmental assessment report shows.

The electric vehicle maker will build a new R&D project in Anting town, Jiading district, Shanghai, including 31 R&D labs engaged in lithium-ion cell and battery pack research and development, as well as a lithium-ion cell pilot line and a battery pack production line.

These projects are expected to be constructed between August and October this year, and Nio will lease a local industrial building for them with a total floor area of over 22,000 square meters.

The environmental assessment report was displayed on the official website of the Shanghai Municipal Government and was first reported by Beijing News. The report is currently available for public comment, and they can submit their comments between May 23 and 30.

These R&D labs are designed to explore the charge and discharge performance, temperature performance, and safety performance of lithium-ion cells and packs under different physical experimental conditions such as temperature, tension, humidity, etc., Nio said in the report.

Nio will explore the cell material properties, battery pack with optimized conditions, etc., and is expected to have 400 R&D personnel.

The lithium-ion cell pilot line and battery pack assembly line will be engaged in the trial production of lithium-ion cells and battery packs, which will be a good prerequisite for possible future large-scale production exploration, and trial samples for subsequent in-depth development.

However, for the number of lithium-ion cells and battery packs to be trialed, Nio blacked out in the report.

More detailed information on these projects is not yet available.