NIO and Bosch Partner on EV Technology

The deal covers collaboration across NIO's three brands and targets core smart electric vehicle systems.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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NIO, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, and Bosch, the German engineering and technology company, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to China. The deal covers collaboration across NIO's three brands - NIO, ONVO, and firefly - and targets core smart electric vehicle systems including drive-by-wire chassis, battery management, braking, steering, powertrain, body electronics, and sensing modules.

Why it matters

The partnership between NIO and Bosch reflects the deepening cooperation between China and Germany in the energy transition and high-end manufacturing sectors. It also highlights NIO's global ambitions as it continues to expand its R&D, manufacturing, and sales footprint worldwide.

The details

The agreement was signed by Dr. Shen Feng, Executive Vice President of NIO, and Dr. Johannes Sommerhaeuser, Regional President Asia-Pacific at Bosch Global Business Services. The deal aims to leverage the complementary strengths of the two companies across the industrial value chain. Both companies intend to advance joint innovation in the targeted smart EV domains.

  • The signing took place during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to China on February 25, 2026.
  • As of January 31, 2026, NIO Inc. had delivered a total of 1,024,774 vehicles.

The players

NIO

A Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer with three brands: NIO, ONVO, and firefly.

Bosch

A German engineering and technology company that is partnering with NIO on core smart electric vehicle systems.

Friedrich Merz

The German Chancellor who was on his first official visit to China when the NIO-Bosch agreement was signed.

William Li

The founder, chairman, and CEO of NIO, who participated in the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee discussions during the Chancellor's visit.

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What they’re saying

“The partnership focuses on several critical smart EV domains: drive-by-wire chassis systems, battery management systems, braking and steering components, powertrain and body electronics, and sensing modules.”

— Dr. Shen Feng, Executive Vice President of NIO

“Both companies intend to advance joint innovation in these areas. The agreement also reflects deeper China-Germany cooperation in energy transition and manufacturing.”

— Dr. Johannes Sommerhaeuser, Regional President Asia-Pacific at Bosch Global Business Services

The takeaway

The partnership between NIO and Bosch showcases the growing collaboration between Chinese and German companies in the electric vehicle and high-tech manufacturing sectors, as both countries work to advance their energy transition and industrial modernization goals.