According to Weibo users’ revelations, NIO’s mobile phone department has recently expanded investment and is expected to recruit over 200 R&D roles. Li Bin, the founder and CEO of NIO, responded the rumours about NIO’s producing phones in an interview. He said that NIO vehicle owners are interested in a mobile phone that can better connect with the car, prompting NIO to investigate this market.
Why it matters
Bin stated, “We are currently in the very early stages of market research and we are also seriously thinking about the value to users. We wish to investigate more in order to provide a better experience for our users.”
Li Bin believes that even if NIO decides to enter the mobile phone market, the goal would not be a commercial success, but to improve the overall experience of NIO car owners. Bin quips, “We’re looking to work in that direction. We know it’s easy to build a phone, but it’s challenging to build a good phone.”
Context
In January 2022, based on the sales volume of new energy vehicles in China, NIO’s sales remained at the bottom of the three listed car makers. XPeng Motors delivered 12,900 units, a YoY increase of 115%; Li Auto delivered 12,300 units of Ideal ONE, a YoY increase of 128.1%; NIO sold a total of 9,652 units, a YoY increase of 33.6%.
Sales volume of the three companies did not exceed 10,000 in February, also known as the off-season of automobile sales. . Li Auto’s automobile sales were the highest, with 8,414 units sold. XPeng Motors delivered 6,225 units, while NIO remained at the bottom with 6,131.
