According to China’s Tianyan Intellectual Property Information, Nio has applied for 14 trademark registrations for its first sub-brand Onvo — known as “Ledao” in China.
The trademarks are now pending approval and Nio filed for “Onvo CareTech,” “L10” to “L90,” but also “L66,” “L77,” “L88,” and “L99”, as reported by China’s media Sina.
Onvo, previously codenamed as “Alps”, will be launched in May and its first model L60 will target Tesla’s Model Y sales in China.
In a recent media Q&A held in Beijing, Nio‘s management unveiled that Onvo will be officially launched in “early to mid-May” and, according to Weibo posts from industry experts, the second model is already in preparation.
Codenamed “Blanc”, Onvo’s second model is aimed at “a larger family and has an attractive appearance” and all the models will share battery swap technology utilising Nio’s fourth generation battery swap station — which will start being deployed in China in a few weeks.
Onvo’s upcoming models on Nio’s NT3.0 platform will feature single motors and forgo LiDAR technology, opting instead for 4D imaging radar.
This strategic choice is aimed at reducing costs, thereby allowing the brand to offer these models at a lower price point, expected to range between 200,000 yuan ($27,800) and 300,000 yuan ($41,400).
During the latest earnings call on March 5th, Nio’s CEO highlighted that the first model under the Alps brand will boast a bill of materials (BOM) cost approximately 10 percent lower than the Tesla Model Y, currently the world’s top-selling car.
On Sunday, Nio signed a cooperation with the State Grid of Suzhou Power Supply Company to jointly build a charging and battery swapping network.
Nio delivered 11,866 vehicles in March 2024, marking a 14.3% increase compared to the previous year. The deliveries comprised 6,737 SUVs and 5,129 sedans.
