Munich, 03 June (STA) - Economy Minister Matjaž Han met Chinese electric car manufacturer NIO representatives in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday, urging further talks on NIO's potential cooperation with the Slovenian automotive industry. Unofficial information suggests that NIO cars could be made at the Magna factory in Hoče, near the Slovenian city of Maribor.
The Economy Ministry said in a statement that Han had visited the Munich hub of NIO, whose innovative solutions are setting new standards in electric mobility.
"The company represents a potential partner for collaboration with the Slovenian automotive industry. In a meeting with vice president at NIO Europe Hui Zhang, the minister expressed support for continuing discussions on possible cooperation in the automotive sector," the ministry said.
As the newspaper Dnevnik reported today citing unofficial sources, the Hoče-based factory of the Magna Steyr company could be a potential Slovenian location for NIO.
The Canadian-Austrian multinational invested over EUR 150 million in the facility, which launched as a paint shop in 2019 before production was halted in 2023 and relocated to Graz, Austria.
Magna started collaboration with NIO in 2017.
However, it is not known what form exactly cooperation with NIO would take. It is not know what exactly would be produced in Slovenia, whether NIO would buy the Hoče factory from Magna or whether Magna would assemble cars for NIO for the European market in Graz in collaboration with the Hoče factory.
Dnevnik said that expanding the factory was also an option. The unofficial information obtained by the STA shows that no decision has been made as talks are ongoing.
NIO was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Shanghai. It was listed on the New York stock market in 2018, three years after presenting its first electric sports car EP9 while presenting the Onvo brand of electric cars for mass production in 2024.
Minister Han concluded a two-day working visit to Bavaria, where he attended on Monday the fair Transport Logistic, and an event focussing on the European space industry.
He said that space had long been not only an area of research and dreams but had also become a key infrastructure of contemporary society.
Han stressed that Slovenia had recently joined the European Space Agency as a full member, "which is a recognition of our scientists, companies and visionaries".
