Nio announced on Wednesday that it is launching a tip-off campaign to collect clues on “Improper Use of First Owner Benefits by Commercial Vehicles” across its battery swap stations in China.
The announcement was made via the Nio app, where a spokesperson for the brand stated that “the company has discovered some instances of improper use of benefits such as warranties, battery swapping, and cross-city charging.”
Citing the Nio Basic Owner Benefits Notice agreement, the EV maker said the first-owner benefits it offers are limited to private customers and should not be for commercial use.
This includes warranties and free battery swaps granted by the brand.
If the vehicle is used for ride-hailing or rental services, the benefits cannot apply and Nio will revoke them if it takes notice of the misuse.
“If the vehicle is used for ride-hailing, online car-hailing, or other commercial purposes, we will regulate the usage of the relevant rights, which may include: suspending free charging or battery swaps, quality rights, and more,” Nio stated.
The company invited its customers to report any misuse of vehicles, such as spotting vehicles being used on ride-hailing services, listed on car rental platforms, or mentioned in social media posts about unauthorized commercial use.
Customers will receive rewards if their tips result in the discovery of misuse. Tips can be submitted through dedicated service chat groups, by email, or via the app’s “Commercial Vehicle Tip-Off” submission channel.
Last week, Nio announced that several individuals were detained and punished in China for spreading false information about the company.
The move followed a tip-off campaign launched in February, that rewarded users who had any information about malicious online attacks on the brand. The rewards ranged from 10,000 to 1 million yuan ($1,400—139,400).
In January, rumors circulated on Chinese social media claiming BYD would form a joint venture with Nio. Weeks later, another rumor indicated that Nio was laying off half of its workforce.
Both rumors were denied by the Shanghai-based brand.
Earlier this week, Nio co-founder and President Lihong Qin visited Munich as the Chinese EV maker prepares to expand to ten new markets across Europe, including the upcoming regional launch of its budget sub-brand, Firefly.
On Wednesday, Nio appointed long-time investment banker Bagrin Angelov as vice-president of capital markets.
Angelov, who spent the past decade as managing director and head of cross-border mergers and acquisitions at China International Capital Corp (CICC) based in Beijing, will report to Nio’s chief financial officer Qu Yu.
