Li Bin: NEV Industry Enters Brand Clarification Phase; NIO Focuses on Premium Segment with Three-Brand Sales Strategy

On May 24, Li Bin, founder, chairman, and CEO of NIO, stated that the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry is transitioning from a period of brand confusion to one of brand clarification, with consumers increasingly focusing on a brand's overall capabilities when purchasing vehicles. He believes the industry has now entered a phase of systemic competition, where brand value and influence continue to grow stronger, and emphasized that merely stacking up product specifications can no longer align with consumers' actual perceptions of a brand. Li revealed that the expected sales volume ratio among NIO’s three brands—NIO, Onvo, and Firefly—will be either “3:6:1” or “35:55:10.” He clarified that this ratio reflects only sales distribution and does not represent revenue or profit structure. Specifically, the NIO brand will remain focused on the premium market, while Onvo targets a broader family-oriented vehicle segment. Li noted that under the company’s current R&D and organizational efficiency, achieving monthly sales of 20,000 units for Onvo would represent a significant scale milestone. Currently, Onvo operates over 400 stores, primarily located in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, and future growth will rely more heavily on channel expansion into lower-tier markets.