NIO Executive Responds to Range-Extender vs. Pure EV Debate: Calls Range Extenders a Bridge to Electric Driving Habits

Recently, a debate over "what lies at the end of extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs)" has been intensifying within the automotive industry. On June 23, Liu Jie, President of Product Lines at Li Auto, stated during the launch event of the new Li L8 that the claim "the end of extended-range is pure electric" is merely sales rhetoric from rival automakers, and instead proposed that "the end of extended-range is 5C extended-range." The next day, Ma Lin, Vice President of NIO, posted just the words "Thank you" on social media, prompting Li Xiang, founder of Li Auto, to reiterate his stance in another post—further escalating the controversy. On June 25, Ma Lin elaborated NIO’s position in detail via Weibo. Citing remarks made by NIO CEO William Li in August last year, he noted that EREVs have helped users develop habits of using electricity over the past few years, lowered the barrier to EV adoption, and laid the groundwork for the widespread acceptance of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Ma Lin added that, thanks to advances in battery technology and improvements in charging infrastructure, an increasing number of users now prefer “using electricity instead of fuel” for daily travel, with some EREV owners even relying exclusively on pure-electric mode for extended periods. This shift in user behavior has significantly boosted acceptance of BEVs. Data shows that in May 2024, domestic BEV sales reached seven times that of EREVs. According to statistics from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), wholesale deliveries of EREVs in May totaled 95,000 units—a year-over-year decline of 24.9%, marking the steepest monthly drop in nearly five years—and their market share fell to 7.0%. Only three EREV models sold more than 5,000 units that month. Meanwhile, among new energy vehicle startups, the proportion of BEVs rose from 59% in 2023 to 81% in May 2024. Ma Lin also revealed that cumulative deliveries of NIO’s third-generation ES8 have surpassed 120,000 units, with many buyers previously owning EREVs or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). He once again expressed gratitude for the role EREVs have played in fostering users’ preference for electric driving. Additionally, NIO plans to unveil a new five-seat variant of the ES8 on June 28—the eighth anniversary of the original ES8’s delivery launch. Built on the NT3.0 platform and featuring a 900V high-voltage architecture, the new model is expected to begin deliveries in early July. As a company fully committed to the pure-electric path, NIO stated it will continue driving broader adoption of electric-powered mobility.