• The Onvo L80 has completed trial production and is about to enter the Tooling Trial phase, according to an image allegedly from Onvo.
  • Earlier this month, an Onvo vice president said the brand's second car, benchmarked against 's Li L8 or Li L9, would be released in the second half of this year.
(Onvo L60. Image credit: Onvo)

The second model from 's (NYSE: NIO) sub-brand Onvo, internally codenamed Blanc, may not be far off from launch.

The Onvo L80 is almost here, said He Lei, CEO of local automotive media outlet Xchuxing, in a community post on his site today.

An image he shared, allegedly from Onvo, showed that the L80 has completed trial production and is about to enter the Tooling Trial (TT) stage.

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(An image allegedly from Onvo shared by Xchuxing's CEO, He Lei, shows that the brand's second model has already completed trial production.)

“After entering the TT phase, it's not far from SOP!” he wrote. SOP refers to the start of production.

Earlier this month, Onvo vice president Xia Qinghua told a user event that the brand's second model is benchmarked against Li Auto's (NASDAQ: LI) Li L8 or Li L9, and will be released in the second half of this year.

(Onvo vice president Xia Qinghua said at a user event in January that the brand's second model will be released in the second half of this year. Screenshot: CnEVPost)

Onvo launched its first model, the L60, on September 19, 2024, and deliveries of the five-seat mid-size SUV (sport utility vehicle) began on September 28.

The L60 has a starting price of RMB 206,900 ($28,420) including the battery pack. When purchased on a BaaS (battery as a service) basis, the starting price is RMB 149,900, with a monthly battery rental fee of RMB 599 or RMB 899, depending on the battery pack.

The day after the L60's launch, Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li told media, including CnEVPost, in Hefei, Anhui province on September 20 that Onvo would launch a mid-to-large-size SUV in 2025.

The new model will be a revolutionary product that will bring surprises and will begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2025, Li said at the time.

“If you think the L60 is nice, then this new model is a much more competitive product,” Li said.

On October 24, local tech outlet Leiphone reported that Onvo's second model would be a six- or seven-seat SUV, which was expected to be released by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

During an earnings call on November 20, Nio management provided more information about Onvo's plans for new models.

Onvo would launch two SUV models in 2025, including a six- or seven-seater and a large five-seater, completing its presence in the SUV market, the company's management said on that call.

The two models -- which would rival Li Auto's Li L8 and Li L7 -- are very competitive and cost-controlled, Nio management said.

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