Alps' first model, internally codenamed DOM, will be produced on production lines shared with Nio models, according to local media.
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Nio's (NYSE: NIO) mass-market sub-brand, code-named Alps, will start pilot production of its first model next month, bringing it closer to mass production, according to a new report.
Alps' first model will complete the prototyping process and enter the production line for pilot production in mid-November, local media outlet AutoPix said in a report today.
The model, internally codenamed DOM, will be the first model under the Nio umbrella based on the next-generation platform NT 3.0, the report said.
The Alps model, which will go on sale in the second half of 2024, will be built on production lines shared with Nio models, according to the report.
The Alps' first product began prototyping process in September, and the plan is now to complete it by mid-November and move on to the next stage, the report said, citing a source close to Nio's manufacturing system.
The NT 3.0 platform will see a number of upgrades over Nio's current NT 2.0-based models, including the adoption of the currently popular 800-volt high-voltage architecture, which will result in a more efficient charging experience, the report said.
In addition, the first NT 3.0 platform-based model from the Nio main brand will follow Alps' DOM model into pilot production, according to the report.
Nio launched the new EC6 on September 15, completing the transition from all NT 1.0 platform-based models to the NT 2.0 platform. The company is currently selling eight models based on the NT 2.0 platform.
The Nio brand's first model based on the NT 3.0 platform is currently in the validation build (VB) phase of the prototype and is expected to enter the tooling trial (TT) phase in December, according to AutoPix.
For a new model, the VB and TT stages need to be completed in the pilot plant before it can officially enter the production line, the report noted, adding that the start of production (SOP) will not be launched until after the pilot production (PP) stage.
The Nio brand will not have new product launches next year, but will have regular model-year revisions, William Li, the company's founder, chairman, and CEO, said in an August 29 earnings call, adding that Nio's current models already largely cover the needs of 80 percent of users in the premium segment.
Alps' first model will be launched in the second half of next year, and the car will be competitive, he said at the time.
Development of Alps models is going very well, with the first pilot test car already off the production line, Li said on the call.
A second Alps model is already in development, and the brand will not have a large number of models, but will focus more on the sales of each car, Li said.
Alps' model development is based on a different philosophy than the Nio brand, which is aimed at the premium market, and will focus more on the family scenario, according to Li.
Nio's sub-brand Alps may partner with dealers to sell cars, report says
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