Aluminum supplier Novelis has agreed to provide aluminum for NextEV’s line of NIO EVs. NIO will use Novelis Advanz aluminum alloys to create a range of structural components and parts for its electric SUV models, which it plans to launch over the next five years.

The aluminum for NIO will come from Novelis’s new $100-million Changzhou plant, which the company says is China’s first facility for manufacturing heat-treated automotive sheet.

Novelis, a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries, has production capabilities in all three major auto-producing regions – Asia, Europe and North America. Its products are featured in over 180 vehicle models.

“This relationship with NIO is pushing the limits of what is possible with electric vehicles from both a performance and design standpoint,” said Novelis VP Pierre Labat. “It underscores that Novelis is more than just a material supplier, we are collaborators and problem solvers working closely with design teams to help ensure vehicles are built to maximize the unique attributes of aluminum.”

Source: Novelis via Green Car Congress