Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio has denied social media rumors claiming it is laying off 50% of its workforce with an N+1 compensation package, calling the speculation “ridiculously untrue.”
The rumor, which began circulating on Weibo on Wednesday, was sparked by an automotive blogger’s claim that “a certain luxury car company is laying off 50 percent of its workforce.”
In a statement on its app, the Shanghai-based automaker dismissed the claim and said its legal department has reported the matter to the police. [Full statement available here]
CEO Response
According to a report from the Chinese platform Sina, Nio CEO William Li responded to the rumors, emphasizing the value of providing legal department tips over engaging in internet trolling.
Sina reported Li stating, “Nio will compensate those who provide useful information—it definitely pays more than being a troll.”
Reward Program
As reported on February 9, Nio announced it is offering rewards of up to 1 million yuan ($137,300) for verifiable information related to what it calls “malicious PR and online trolling.” The company claims it has been facing coordinated attacks on its brand image over recent months.
Last month, Nio’s legal team said it had identified “a new wave of organized and large-scale malicious attacks” against the company and its sub-brands, Onvo and Firefly, across Chinese social media platforms.
The company stated it will offer rewards ranging from 10,000 yuan to 1 million yuan ($1,370 to $137,300) to individuals who provide credible evidence.
New Models
Nio is preparing to introduce updated versions of four of its models. The refreshed ET5 sedan and its wagon-style ET5T variant, as well as the ES6 SUV (marketed as EL6 in Europe) and the EC6 coupe SUV, will be launched later this year.
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Wednesday published a catalog listing minor exterior design changes to these models while the interior will face both design and technology improvements.
Onvo Expansion
Nio’s sub-brand Onvo has begun road-testing its second model in China, an SUV set to launch in the third quarter of 2025. A third Onvo model is scheduled to follow in late 2025, Nio’s CEO William Li previously revealed.
A newly released image on Wednesday shows the camouflaged Onvo model being tested alongside a Firefly EV, Nio’s second sub-brand.
