March 11, 2024. Shanghai – Amidst a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, the electric vehicle (EV) industry offers a new horizon full of opportunities to reshape the automotive landscape.

This is something that is keenly understood by NIO Co-founder and President Qin Lihong, who asserted that the automotive industry is a global business by nature during a CEIBS Executive Forum at Shanghai campus today, adding that no country in the world can produce a quality vehicle behind closed doors.

During the event, Mr. Qin shared NIO’s strategic practices as one of China’s leading smart EV companies and explained how NIO builds its systematic competitiveness through full stack technological innovation and a user-centric operating model.

“We did five things over the past decade, the first of which is to create a globally recognised premium smart electric vehicle brand,” Mr. Qin said. “We’ve mapped our global layout since the day we were established. We created a term called ‘global startup’. No matter which country it is, there’s a growing trend of globalisation in automotive research and development, supply chain, talent, and marketisation. It’s better to begin to have a global reach sooner rather than later in your company’s development.”

Since 2014, NIO has expanded its global footprint, including R&D centres, production facilities, and sales and service networks, in nine countries outside of China: Germany, US, UK, Singapore, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Netherlands.

Committed to R&D and battery technological innovation, NIO sets itself apart from other EV brands with its pioneering vehicle-battery separation service system and a large-scale battery-swapping network for its users.

“We were faced with two challenges in our initial stage. The lack of investment in charging infrastructure across the country has created inconvenience for EV users, leading to a vicious cycle where fewer people invest in electric vehicles. Additionally, the limited production of batteries pushed up prices, thus further deterring its adoption,” Mr. Qin explained. The only solution to break the deadlock, he continued, is by separating the vehicle from the battery and instead enable battery swapping.

Besides technological innovation, NIO also leads the industry in offering a premium charging experience enabled by chargeable, swappable and upgradable power solutions for all EV users to make their travel more convenient, Mr. Qin said.

“Users do not exist solely for the benefit of manufacturers. They only pay for convenience and experience, so it is particularly important for us to provide users with comprehensive power services catering to all scenarios,” Mr. Qin said.

As of today, NIO has deployed over 20,000 charging stations and 2,380 battery swapping stations nationwide, making it the automotive company with the most charging pile layouts in China.

With a focus on a user-centric business model, Mr. Qin said that the Chinese EV startup has built up a unique user community with a wide range of peripheral products from the very beginning, such as the NIO app, NIO Life, and NIO House to boost user satisfaction.

“With the advancement of technology, the mobile internet has changed the way people communicate. Unlike the old days when we were restricted by traditional media like newspapers and television, every user today is a brand disseminator. These offerings not only help us boost user satisfaction and create a brand premium, but also benefit us significantly by unlocking value throughout the user life cycle,” he concluded.