Top stories of NIO in 2022

By the end of Dec. 2022, NIO's cumulative deliveries amounted to 289,556 units, 122,486 vehicles (+34% YoY) of which were delivered last year.

NIO scored a highest-ever monthly delivery volume in Dec. 2022, which soared 50.8% over a year earlier.

The company made significant headways in roll-out of new models, expansion of EV charging & battery swap networks and sales & service channels, as well as overseas business deployment last year. Gasgoo hereby made the retrospective report about NIO's 2022 stories. 

NIO, Zhejiang Commercial Group to co-build battery swap stations for expressway rest stops

NIO on Jan. 7 entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Zhejiang Commercial Group Co.,Ltd., a Zhejiang-based state-run company providing trade circulation service, to jointly build battery swap facilities.

Under the agreement, both parties plan to build battery swap stations at 15 pairs of expressway service plazas in Zhejiang province by the end of June 2022.

NIO teams up with steel producer Baosteel for supply chain, low-carbon tech

NIO and the state-owned steel producer Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (called “Baosteel” for short) struck a deal on Jan. 10 to carry out strategic cooperation in a range of areas, such as the ecosystem of supply chain, and the applications of green low-carbon and EVI (Early Vendor Involvement) technologies, according to a post on Baosteel's WeChat account.

The cooperation will involve such products as non-oriented silicon steel, cold-rolled automotive steel sheet, aluminum material, as well as rods and tubes.

NIO pushes NIO OS Aspen 3.1.0 with English user interface

On Jan. 15, NIO shipped the NIO OS Aspen 3.1.0 to users in China with the English-version user interface newly added to attract more expatriates in the country.

According to NIO, the existing 3.0.5 version and above can be upgraded to the newest 3.1.0 through OTA.

NIO launches 800th battery swap station via cooperation with IKEA

NIO announced via its WeChat account its 800th battery swap station was launched on Jan. 21 at IKEA Hangzhou store.

NIO builds insurance brokerage subsidiary

In Jan., NIO set up a subsidiary working on insurance brokerage business , a move in response to China’s launch of NEV (new energy vehicle)-dedicated commercial insurance.

According to the corporate data platform Tianyancha, the new company, dubbed NIO Insurance Brokerage Co.,Ltd., was incorporated on Jan. 19, 2022 in Hefei, where NIO China is headquartered. Involving a registered capital of 50 million yuan ($7.9 million), the newborn firm is wholly held by NIO Holding Limited, the legal entity of NIO China.

NIO, Aluminum Corporation of China to team up on automotive aluminum R&D, supply

NIO and state-owned aluminum producer Aluminum Corporation of China (“CHINALCO”) signed an agreement on March 3 to form a strategic partnership, according to a post on CHINALCO's WeChat account.

Under the agreement, both parties will carry out in-depth cooperation on the R&D, supply, and procurement of new materials and auto parts including automobile-used aluminum and copper, the digitalization of supply chain, and the carbon footprint verification (CFV).

First mass-produced NIO ET7s roll off production line

The first mass-produced NIO ET7s came off the production line on March 24, according to a post on NIO's WeChat account.

The scale delivery of the ET7 would start on March 28. Given the pandemic factor, consumers in different regions will not receive the cars at the same moment. NIO said its staff members would stay in touch with customers to update them the final delivery time.

NIO kicks off delivery of ET7

On March 28, NIO officially started the delivery of the ET7 all-electric flagship sedan, its four production model, according to the startup's press release.

In early March, NIO kicked off the test drive of ET7 nationwide. “Users who test drove ET7 have spoken highly about the product. The test-drive-to-order conversion rate exceeded our expectations, giving us great confidence in the competitiveness of NT2.0,” William Bin Li, Chairman and CEO of NIO, said last week at the latest quarterly earnings call.

NIO lifts shareholding in joint venture with JAC Group

In mid-March, NIO increased its stake in Jianglai Advanced Manufacturing Technology (Anhui) Co., Ltd. (“Jianglai”), the joint venture it builds with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (“JAC Group”), a year after Jianglai was established.

According to the corporate database Qichacha, Jianglai is currently 50/50 held by NIO and JAC Group after the latter transferred the 1% stake in the joint venture to the former.

NIO announces plan to raise vehicle prices

NIO would increase prices of some vehicle models on May 10 due to the continuous hike in raw materials prices globally, the EV startup announced on Apr. 10 via the NIO App. The move came only 16 days after the company said it had no such plans.

According to NIO's adjustment scheme, the entire lineups of the ES8, the ES6, and the EC6 would record a price increase of 10,000 yuan. Meanwhile, the starting prices of the ET7 and the ET5 still remain unchanged.

WWF joins NIO's Clean Park initiative as co-initiator

On April 22, the 53rd Earth Day, NIO formed a strategic partnership with WWF (World Wildlife Fund), who will serve as one of the initiators of NIO's “Clean Parks” ecosystem co-construction initiative, the startup announced via its WeChat account.

Under the cooperation, NIO and WWF will make joint efforts to promote the building of a clean and low-carbon energy self-circulation system for the protected areas in China and even the whole world, and boost the sustainable development of the global ecosystem.

NIO ET5's first TT prototypes roll off production line

On April 29, NIO saw the first tooling trial (TT) builds of the NIO ET5, its fifth production model, roll off the production line, according to NIO's press release.

The ET5 was formally launched in December 2021 at the NIO Day 2021 with its presale starting at the same time.

NIO signs agreement to manufacture new sub-brand models at NeoPark

NIO had signed a cooperation agreement with local authority of Hefei Economic & Technological Development Zone for building the second-phase complete vehicle manufacturing base at NeoPark and the supporting core auto parts projects, the information office of Hefei municipal government said on May 10 via its twitter-like Weibo account.

Per the agreement, the smart electric vehicle (EVs) models under NIO's all-new mid-/high-end sub-brand would be introduced into the new manufacturing facility, which was expected for production in 2024. The whole project is planned to take up 1,860 mu (1.24 million square meters).

NIO to adopt Baidu's DuerOS for onboard intelligent speech assistant advancement

Baidu's intelligent speech arm, Xiaodu Technology, struck a deal with NIO in May to optimize NIO vehicles' onboard human-machine interactive experience.

Building on Xiaodu's DuerOS technologies, the two companies would create an integrated onboard AI assistant connecting drivers, cars, and the internet that satisfy users' needs. 

NIO hits delivery milestone of 200,000 vehicles

On May 15, NIO held a ceremony in Chongqing city to celebrate the achievement of 200,000 complete vehicles in cumulative deliveries, according to the startup's press release. It took the startup fewer than 4 four years to accomplish the target.

The milestone came after 20 days after NIO saw its 200,000th vehicle roll off the assembly line.

NIO goes public on Singapore Exchange on May 20

On May 20, 2022, NIO successfully listed its Class A ordinary shares on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST) under the stock code "NIO".

With an estimated market capitalisation of S$38.586 billion, NIO is the first auto company listed on three Exchanges, which are in New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore respectively.

NIO to be included in Hang Seng TECH Index as constituent stock

NIO Inc. announced on May 23 that it would be included in the Hang Seng TECH Index as a constituent stock, effective June 13, 2022.

The Hang Seng Family of Indexes is widely regarded as the most important gauge of the Hong Kong stock market. The Hang Seng TECH Index represents the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to technology themes and pass the index's screening criteria.

NIO launches charging/discharging 'all-in-one' machine

NIO announced on Jun. 6 it had launched a portable machine that integrates both charging and discharging functions.

The charging/discharging "all-in-one" machine is able to meet the needs of multiple scenarios. It would be officially available for rent at the end of July in 2022.

NIO inks agreement to help build EV auto parts industrial park in Lu'an city

On June 10, NIO signed a framework agreement with the municipal government of Lu'an, a prefecture-level city in western Anhui province, to jointly build an industrial park of supporting auto parts used for intelligent electric vehicles, according to a post on local government's official WeChat account.

Located in Lu'an Economic Development Zone, the new facility is positioned as a high-end aluminum die-casting low-carbon and circular industrial park. Driven by China's carbon emission peak and neutrality targets, both parties are committed to building it into a national-level demonstration industrial park for pilot circular economy projects.

NIO launches ES7 all-electric SUV

On Jun. 15, NIO officially launched its all-new production model, the ES7, which was scheduled for delivery from August 28, 2022.

The ES7 is the first SUV model to ride on NIO's second-generation technology platform, NT2.0. Sitting between the ES6 and the ES8, the all-new model is positioned as a mid-to-large five-seater all-electric SUV.

NIO completes building of expressway battery swapping network

On Jun. 22, NIO announced it has completed the building of its battery swapping network for expressways with a total of 205 battery swapping stations so far deployed to cover over 20,000-km expressways.

NIO announces completion of 10 million battery swaps

NIO provided its 10 millionth battery swap on July 4, 2022, the EV startup announced via its WeChat account.

According to data released by NIO, it took the automaker 29 months to complete its first 1 million battery swaps, and only 1 month to climb from the 9 to the 10 millionths.

NIO sets up software subsidiary in Shanghai

In Jul. 2022, NIO founded a software subsidiary in Shanghai.

According to the corporate information provider Tianyancha, the newborn company, named NIO Software Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was incorporated on July 27 in Minhang district, Shanghai city. With a registered capital of 50 million yuan, the subsidiary has a line of businesses including software development, information system integration service, AI application software development, etc. Its legal representative is Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of NIO.

NIO, UNDP join hands to develop Clean Parks platform

On August 15, NIO inked an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (“UNDP”) to introduce the latter as a new co-builder of its Clean Parks ecosystem co-construction initiative.

Under the agreement, NIO would provide its intelligent electric vehicles, construct clean energy infrastructures, and build a clean low-carbon energy self-circulation system for the protected areas cooperating with the UNDP.

NIO, Hisense to cooperate on several NEV-related businesses

NIO and the multinational appliance and electronics manufacturer Hisense Group entered into a framework agreement on Sept. 13 to conduct all-round strategic cooperation in several fields related to the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry, according to a press release from Hisense.

The NEV-related fields in which both parties would team up on include automotive air conditioning system, vehicle thermal management system, intelligent transportation system, C-V2X, as well as new types of display and multimedia technologies and products.

NIO's first Germany-based battery swap station comes online

NIO announced on Sept. 29 via its twitter-like Weibo account the launch of its first Germany-based battery swap station, marking part of preparations to bring its vehicles into this country.

Located at Zusmarshausen, the new battery swap station will work on the busy A8 motorway between Munich and Stuttgart. It is one of results from the cooperation between NIO and Sortimo, one of biggest European charging industrial park operators, capable of conducting 312 battery swaps per day.

NIO starts offering services in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden

NIO hosted NIO Berlin 2022, a launch event in Europe under the theme "A New Horizon", on October 7, 2022 (Germany Time), announcing it will build a comprehensive operation system in four European countries, namely Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.

The startup said it would kick off reservations of its three newest models—the ET7, the EL7, and the ET5—to consumers in the aforesaid four countries through a flexible subscription model. Subscription users would become members of NIO's user community.

ZF Group, NIO form strategic cooperation on steer-by-wire product

ZF Group inked an agreement with NIO on Oct. 11 to carry out strategic cooperation in the development of steer-by-wire (SBW) products and other fields, the global auto supplier announced via its WeChat account.

Under the agreement, the two companies would establish an instant information sharing mechanism to step up communication and conduct regular technical exchanges, in a bid to jointly hammer out industry-leading processes and quality standards.

NIO inks agreement for launch of international business headquarters

On Oct. 25, NIO signed an agreement to launch its international business headquarters in Jiangqiao town, Jiading district, Shanghai city, according to a post on an official WeChat account of Jiading district government.

The new headquarters covers an area of around 98.8 mu (65,870 square meters) with a floor area ratio of 2.7. The area available for construction covers about 178,000 square meters.

NIO, hotel firm Huazhu Group team up on charging, battery swap facility deployment

NIO and Huazhu Group Limited, a China-based hotel group, inked an agreement on Oct. 25 to carry out in-depth strategic cooperation on the deployment of electric vehicle charging and battery swapping facilities, according to a post on NIO's WeChat account.

NIO said in a press release that the collaboration between the two parties will contribute to the development of the NEV industry and the achievement of the carbon peak and neutrality targets. They will jointly explore new low-carbon transportation approaches and further facilitate power replenishment for EV users.

NIO steps up strategic cooperation with ceramic ball bearing supplier SKF

NIO and Swedish ceramic ball bearing provider SKF recently signed an agreement to cement their strategic cooperation, according to a press released SKF released on Oct. 27.

Under the agreement, SKF would act as a preferred supplier of ceramic ball bearings to NIO and provide its extensive technical expertise to support NIO's product development and global business expansion.

NIO launches first Sweden-based battery swap station

NIO saw its first Sweden-based battery swapping station come online on Nov. 17 in Varberg, a city in Halland on Sweden's west coast.

The significant battery swapping station of NIO is located by the busy E6 motorway between Goteborg and Malmo, not only offering battery swap services to urban residents, but also allowing users going to and fro between the two cities enjoy the fast power replenishment experience.

NIO starts operating first battery swap stations co-built with CNOOC

NIO announced via its WeChat account the first battery swapping stations co-developed with China National Offshore Oil Corporation ("CNOOC") officially started operation on Nov. 22 at the latter's service plaza on the G94 Pearl River Delta Ring Expressway.

As the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China, CNOOC has become an international energy company with five main businesses segments, namely, oil & gas exploration and development, engineering and technical services, refining and marketing, natural gas and power generation, and financial services.

NIO, Tencent team up on smart mobility businesses

Tencent signed an agreement with NIO on Nov. 28 to carry out strategic cooperation on intelligent driving map, autonomous driving cloud, digital ecosystem community, and other areas related to smart mobility, according to a post on Tencent's WeChat account.

In the future, both parties will co-work on the R&D of intelligent driving technology and the innovation in users' experience.

NIO offers electric vehicles to Giant Panda National Park

NIO on Dec. 7 announced its cooperation with China's Giant Panda National Park, marking the second cooperative project under the strategic partnership NIO forged with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for its "Clean Parks" ecosystem co-construction initiative.

NIO said it has offered its smart electric vehicles to the Giant Panda National Park’s Sichuan province administration and deployed charging facilities correspondingly.

NIO hits production milestone of 300,000 mass-produced vehicles

NIO announced via its WeChat account its 300,000th mass-produced vehicle rolled off the production line on Dec. 12, only seven months after the birth of the 200,000th one.

NIO said the milestone was achieved amid the rapid development of China's premium smart electric vehicle industry. For the first eleven months of 2022, NIO accounted for over 70% of China's total sales of high-end all-electric vehicles whose purchase price is above 400,000 yuan per car.

NIO launches first Germany-based NIO House

NIO's first Germany-based NIO House opened for business on Dec. 16 in the country’s capital, Berlin, according to a post on NIO's WeChat account. It is the second user center NIO launched in Europe.

The new NIO House is located on Kurfürstendamm, one of the most famous avenues in Berlin, and is near to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, one of the renowned landmarks of the city. The three- storey building not only serves as a showroom for new cars, but also offers local users a space to have yoga classes and appreciate artworks.

NIO launches NIO EC7, all-new ES8 at NIO Day 2022

At the NIO Day 2022 held on Dec. 24 in Hefei city, capital of China’s Anhui province, NIO attracted attention of multiple viewers by unveiling two new flagship models, namely, the EC7 coupe-like SUV and the all-new ES8, both of which ride on NIO’s second-generation technology platform, the NT2.0.

Positioned as a full-sized coupe SUV, the NIO EC7 measures 4,968mm long, 1,974mm wide, and 1,714mm tall, with a wheelbase that spans 2,960mm. Coming with 8 body color solutions, it is scheduled for delivery in May next year.