Nio has recently started giving away free Nio Phones to customers buying 2024 models, but the entitlement is currently available only for March, according to local media.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Nio (NYSE: NIO) is giving away free Nio Phones to increase the appeal of its models.
The electric vehicle (EV) maker recently started giving away free Nio Phones to customers who buy the 2024 models, but the offer is currently only available for March, according to a report in local media outlet Lanjinger yesterday.
The move is seen by some consumers as an important move by Nio to boost sales and drive potential car buyers to place orders at a time of increased competition in the market, the report noted.
Nio's official channels did not market this.
The company released the first-generation Nio Phone on September 21, 2023, and currently offers three variants starting at RMB 6,499 ($904), RMB 6,899, and RMB 7,499 respectively.
The Nio Phone is a device for Nio owners that will offer a new car-centric connectivity experience, the company said at its launch event last year.
The Nio Phone offers an action button that allows users to quickly launch more than 30 functions related to vehicle control. This includes controlling vehicle functions such as adjusting the air conditioning temperature and switching on and off seat massage.
Nio has eight 2,023 models -- ES8, ES7, ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, ET5, ET5 Touring - of which the first five are SUVs and the last three are sedans. Deliveries of the ET9, unveiled last December, will begin in the first quarter of 2025.
On February 22, the company began accepting customer orders for seven refreshed models, the 2024 ES8, ES7, EC7, ES6, EC6, ET5, and ET5 Touring, at the same prices.
On March 8, deliveries of the 2024 ES8, EC7, ES6, EC6, and ET5 Touring began.
Deliveries of the updated ET5 is set to begin in April and the ES7 in May. The 2024 ET7 will be released and begin taking customer orders in April.
($1 = RMB 7.1858)
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