A message from a Nio executive on the company’s internal platform has leaked onto Chinese social media this Sunday, where the company warns sales staff about upcoming rival launches and urges them to avoid “mistakes or missteps.”
The message, sent by Nio executive Bruce Yang in the internal group with the sales staff, thanked employees for handling increased workloads since the company pre-launched the L90 model in early July.
Over the last six weeks, the Shanghai-headquartered EV maker has been facing a major increase in store traffic after the reveal of two new three-row SUVs: the L90 under the Onvo sub-brand and the third-generation ES8 under the core Nio brand.
“Recently, the increase in customer traffic has indeed brought everyone a lot of workload, but I believe every partner is working from the heart,” Yang wrote.
The executive has also called on the sales staff to remain vigilant as competition intensifies from rival Chinese brands such as XPeng, Li Auto and Xiaomi.
Li Auto began last week delivering its new i8 SUV, a direct competitor of the L90. Additionally, Tesla will start deliveries of its new Model Y L in September.
“In the coming period, many new products from Chinese brands such as Nio, XPeng, Li Auto, and Xiaomi will be launched or are about to be launched,” Yang wrote.
“Inevitably, users will make comparisons. As Nio sales partners, we must not allow ourselves to make mistakes or missteps,” the executive added.
Yang’s message also encouraged staff to focus on converting owners of established luxury marques — known in China as “BBA” for Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi — and to maintain relationships even when customers choose other brands.
“If a user chooses another brand, you should still become a trusted friend in their car journey. I believe that when they make their next choice, they will consider Nio again,” he wrote.
The Onvo L90 SUV, which began deliveries on August 1 across more than 40 cities in China after a late-July official launch.
The six-seat model, positioned as the flagship model of Nio’s Onvo sub-brand, was priced lower than analysts had expected given its specifications, driving a sharp rise in showroom visits and contributing to a rally in Nio’s stock price.
Earlier this week, Nio also began showcasing the third-generation ES8, its revamped flagship six-seat SUV, in roughly 300 showrooms nationwide ahead of the pre-launch event held last Thursday.
The official launch is scheduled for the second half of September.
The immediate rollout to showrooms mirrored the strategy used for the L90, enabling customers to view the new model ahead of the pre-launch event.
At a media Q&A session on Friday, Nio co-founder and president Lihong Qin said pre-orders for the new ES8 “have already exceeded those of the Onvo L90 in the same period after their respective pre-launches.”
The twin launches have spurred a rebound in Nio’s shares. The stock has gained nearly 50% over the past six trading sessions, reaching its highest level since early October 2024.
Also during Friday’s media session, Nio‘s founder and chief executive William Li ruled out plans to develop a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
Li said that the company would rather focus on profitable products that more directly address customer needs while noting that ES8 fulfills several MPV needs.
Here’s the full transcript of Bruce Yang’s internal message (translated):
“@Everyone Fellow colleagues, thank you for your hard work.
Recently, the increase in customer traffic has indeed brought everyone a lot of workload, but I believe every partner is working from the heart.
It may feel like it has been a long time since we’ve had this level of prosperity, so we must cherish every customer, every bit of enthusiasm, every bit of care, and use our best professional knowledge to serve each user well.
In the coming period, many new products from Chinese brands such as Nio, XPeng, Li Auto, and Xiaomi will be launched or are about to be launched. Inevitably, users will make comparisons.
As Nio sales partners, we must not allow ourselves to make mistakes or missteps. I encourage everyone to proactively recommend our products, especially when facing users coming from BBA (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi).
This is a bottom line in sales, and also something I hope all regional managers and sales leaders pay attention to in their management work.
What we need to do is conduct detailed needs analysis for our users, help them choose a model that suits their needs.
If a user chooses another brand, you should still become a trusted friend in their car journey. I believe that when they make their next choice, they will consider Nio again.
Treasure every opportunity, do our best in everything, and attend to every user carefully. Thank you everyone, let’s work hard together!”
