- Nio called the rumor ridiculously untrue and has reported it to the police.
- Nio said it is offering a number of high-quality jobs and welcomes new members.
Nio (NYSE: NIO) denied a new rumor of layoffs after it sparked widespread discussion.
In a statement posted to its mobile app late Wednesday night, the company called the rumor ridiculously untrue.
Nio's legal department has called the police on the matter, and the person who posted the false information needs to worry, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Nio is offering a number of quality positions to welcome new members to the company, it said.
Earlier on Wednesday, a screenshot showed a user claiming that “a certain luxury car company is laying off 50 percent of its workforce and offering n+1 compensation to its employees.”
The user didn't mention the name of the specific car company, but another user in the comments section of the post said the car company was Nio, and the reply received the most 99 likes to stay on top.
The new rumor highlights the challenges companies face at a time when social media is highly developed, especially when they experience headwinds.
For Nio, the latest headwind was a dip in deliveries in January due to seasonal factors including the Chinese New Year holiday break and a slow recovery in weekly sales.
Nio Inc delivered 13,863 vehicles in January, up 37.87 percent from 10,055 a year earlier but down 55.48 percent from 31,138 in December, according to data it released on February 1.
For reference, China's passenger new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales in January were 744,000 units, up 10.5 percent year-on-year but down 42.9 percent from December, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Insurance registrations in China for Nio-branded vehicles were 1,900 in the week of February 10-16, up 72.73 percent from 1,100 in the previous week, CnEVPost reported Tuesday. The Onvo sub-brand was 900 in the last week, up 143.24 percent from 370 in the previous week.
January 28 to February 4 was this year's Chinese New Year holiday, which had an impact on industrial production as well as consumer activities.
Nio has stepped up its fight against malicious rumors this month, announcing on February 9 a public call for such tips and offering rewards of between RMB 10,000 and RMB 1 million ($140,000) for valid tips or evidence.
On February 14, the company said it had received nearly 2,000 emails and was compiling the information and would take appropriate legal action.
($1 = RMB 7.2838)
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