EV maker Nio held on Friday an internal meeting with mid to senor level management where founder and CEO William Li reiterated the goal of achieving profitabilty in the current quarter.
“This is the report card our entire team must deliver — proof of our operational efficiency and business capability,” Li said, according to a transcript published by the Chinese media outlet 21jingji.
“Profitability is not about showing others what we can do, but about laying the cornerstone for Nio’s long-term sustainable development,” the chief executive added.
Li told managers to focus on three priorities: pushing sales of key models such as the third-generation ES8 and Onvo L90, enforcing supply-chain stability and cost reductions, and delivering software updates on time and at high quality.
“The fourth quarter is about selling cars, implementing cost-reduction measures solidly, and improving user experience,” he said.
Nio has been working toward its first-ever profitable quarter since Li publicly set the target late last year when the management also aimed at doubling vehicle deliveries in 2025.
Although the latter goal has already been indirectly dismissed based on the fourth quarter guidance of 150,000 units, the profitability target remains on the table.
In its most recent financial report, for the second quarter of 2025, Nio said revenue climbed 9% from a year earlier to 19 billion yuan ($2.6 billion), while its net loss narrowed 1% to 5 billion yuan.
Li said the company has already locked in its spending ceilings for the remainder of the year, meaning that “profit fundamentally comes from selling more cars, not just from cutting expenses.”
The chief executive also warned that the quarter would be decisive for the brand’s future momentum.
“Every vehicle counts,” Li stated. “Every day matters. Everyone must do their part well.”
The CEO urged teams to be ready for year-end demand peaks before next year’s adjustment to China’s vehicle purchase tax, adding that strong deliveries now could ease pressure in the first quarter of 2026.
He also said Nio is developing a new three-year business plan and refining its organizational systems to strengthen resilience.
“Every step we take today is for our long-term competitiveness,” Li said. “A first-class company must balance long-term goals with short-term execution.”
The founder of the Shanghai-headquartered EV maker described the current quarter as “very special.”
“The fourth quarter is very special,” Li told staff. “Everyone must stay focused. Profitability is the report card we must hand in — it’s a goal we truly must achieve.”
Last week, Morningstar analyst Vincent Sun said in a new research note that the Nio stock should find near-term support from stronger vehicle sales and improving profitability.
The firm maintained its $5.30 price target on Nio’s US-listed shares, implying a 22.4% downside from the previous closing price.
