Nio to explore collaboration, share technology R&D with Mercedes-Benz in exchange for investment

Chinese EV maker Nio has entered into initial talks with Mercedes-Benz for the German manufacturer to invest in the Chinese firm in exchange for technology, Reuters has reported.

Sources told the news wire that Nio founder and CEO William Li had discussed a potential collaboration with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius earlier this year, with Li seeking investment from the German carmaker in exchange for Nio to share its research and development capabilities. However, discussions did not progress to cover details of the technology involved or the amount to be potentially invested.

Nio had approached Mercedes-Benz with the proposal, however it faced opposition from within the German automaker which had held internal discussions on the matter in recent weeks, and the proposal was unlikely to proceed, Reuters quoted one of its sources as saying.

The Chinese EV maker however denied its contacting of Mercedes-Benz for potential collaborations, calling it ‘untrue’, while Mercedes responded to the news wire separately saying that while there are currently no collaboration plans with Nio, it said that “Ola Källenius is in an ongoing regular dialogue with various industry leaders and peers, including William Li.”

Beyond automobiles, the Chinese brand has branched out into the consumer electronics segment. Earlier this week, Nio launched its first smartphone as a companion for its electric vehicles, and the device runs on the proprietary Sky UI and uses Nio Link to connect seamlessly with Nio EVs.

In addition to acting as a digital key thanks to its ultra-wideband chip, the Nio Phone includes an action button that allows owners to control over 30 car-specific features.

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