Zhang Jianyong, an associate VP of autonomous driving at Nio, is stepping down to join a local chip startup, after serving as an engineering leader for more than seven years, Chinese media 36Kr reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Zhang had led Nio’s autonomous vehicle efforts, such as the development of sensors, the integration of hardware and software systems, and operations regarding testing vehicles. The team of nearly 400 employees that works in the autonomous driving sector at Nio will mostly be merged into other divisions, according to the report. [36Kr, in Chinese]