The first photos of NIO’s new “Alps” brand have allegedly emerged online. The new EV brand is designed to take NIO mainstream, positioning itself to compete with automaking giants like Toyota and Volkswagen in the mass-market segment.
NIO’s new Alps mass-market EV brand surfaces
NIO CEO William Li confirmed the company would launch a new mass-market brand in August 2021.
Li said during the company’s Q2 2021 earnings call, “We’ll enter the mass market with a new brand. The quoting of the new brand has been assembled, marking the first step of the strategic initiative of NIO.”
Although local media outlet 36kr reported in July 2021 that NIO had been considering a sub-brand initially called “TV” for Toyota and Volkswagen, the codename changed to “Alps” to avoid complications.
According to the report, Toyota and VW are the highest-selling automakers, and the Alps are Europe’s tallest mountain range.
NIO’s leader compared the relationship between NIO and the new brand to Volkswagen and Audi or Lexus with Toyota. But he said this is more about the positioning of the brands. The brand will differentiate itself rather than using a Tesla-like strategy with the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X.
NIO currently targets the $50,000 to $100,000 market segment, but its new mainstream EV brand would be priced around $30,000 to $50,000.
The new brand will be based on NIO’s new tech (NT) platform 3.0, with in-house batteries developed for the mass-market models. Li said the company believes the Alps brand can “sell probably 50,000 units per month” with one model.
More recently, on the company’s first-quarter earnings, Li mentioned that NIO is still planning to launch the Alps EV brand in the second half of 2024, but the focus was on moving models to the new NT 2.0 platform (like the new ES6 pictured above) and ensuring a smooth launch.
The first alleged spy photos emerging out of China suggest NIO’s first EV from the Alp brand is under development.
The images posted on Weibo show a heavily camouflaged vehicle that appears to be a sedan but could pose as a potential crossover. We should point out that the design looks eerily similar to the NIO ET7 with slight variations. It doesn’t have a LiDAR on the roof but does include a camera under the windshield, indicating a smart drive system.
Electrek’s Take
With NIO’s positioning as a premium EV maker, a cheaper mass-market sub-brand would make sense. Volkswagen and Toyota are the largest automakers but are losing market share as the industry transitions to electric quicker than many predicted.
A more affordable brand could help expand NIO’s user base beyond premium customers, reaching new markets. Li has already confirmed NIO will launch the new mass-market brand in Europe.
Not only is NIO looking to take on legacy automakers, but car makers in China like BYD are rapidly expanding, with low-cost EVs like the Dolphin starting at around $33,000.
BYD is vertically integrated, allowing it to offer electric models at these prices. NIO says it’s working to establish this. Check back for more info on NIO’s upcoming Alps mass-market brand as it approaches its official launch.
Source: CnEVPost, Weibo
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