Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Nio’s Associate Vice President for Brand and Communications, Ma Lin, responded to Reuters’ report on the company’s potential expansion into hybrid vehicles by reiterating the company’s commitment to battery swap technology.
In a post on the social media platform Weibo, Ma Lin framed the battery swap technology as essential to Nio’s EV strategy, likening them to gas stations for electric vehicles.
“A battery swap station is like a gas station for electric vehicles. A battery swap station is like a range extender for electric vehicles. A battery swap station is a range station for electric vehicles. Which description is best? Battery swap stations are widespread; who needs a range extender?”, Nio’s executive wrote on Weibo.
Earlier today, Reuters reported the company was planning to launch a range-extended hybrid model in 2026, becoming the first non-BEV since in ten years of existance.
Citing two people with knowledge of the matter, Reuters added that the model would only be sold in international markets, including the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
The Reuters report also noted that Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holding, a key Nio investor, was advising the automaker to consider non-BEV options to “boost sales in Middle Eastern markets, where the infrastructure is not ready for mass adoption of EVs.”
However, Nio’s Co-Founder and President Lihong Qin has publicly denied last Friday denied the report, saying the sub-brand will remain exclusively focused on pure electric technology.
“The Firefly brand will be launched on Nio Day 2024 and will continue to follow the ‘chargeable, swappable, and upgradable’ pure electric technology route,” Qin told Cailian, refuting reports of a hybrid model.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
