NIO and Aito Surpass 1 Million Vehicles, Marking New Era of Scale-Driven Competition for EV Startups

In early 2026, NIO and Aito nearly simultaneously reached the milestone of cumulative production of one million vehicles—NIO rolled off its one-millionth ES8 in Hefei on January 6, while Aito completed production of its one-millionth vehicle at the Seres Super Factory on January 13. With this achievement, all major Chinese EV startups—including Li Auto, XPeng, Leapmotor, and Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance—have now crossed the one-million-unit threshold. This collective breakthrough marks the transition of China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturers from an initial exploratory phase into an era of systematic, large-scale competition. Aito, leveraging its deep cross-sector integration with Huawei, achieved the one-million-unit milestone in just 46 months—the fastest pace in the industry. In contrast, NIO adhered to its premium all-electric strategy and full-stack in-house R&D approach, taking nearly 11 years to reach the same goal. Despite their vastly different paths, both companies demonstrate the market’s openness to diverse business models. Today, the competitive focus has shifted from individual products to comprehensive capabilities such as supply chain management, cost control, organizational efficiency, technological innovation, and global expansion. Reaching one million units is not the finish line but rather the starting point of a new race—a marathon centered on technological depth and ecosystem synergy is now fully underway.