Nio says Onvo's 'tie-up' with Didi not company-level move

Onvo's partnership with Didi is not a company-level move, but rather an experiment by a regional team.

A video earlier this week showed Onvo delivering some vehicles for Didi's ride-hailing fleet.

(An Onvo L60 displayed at the Shanghai auto show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)

Nio (NYSE: NIO) has clarified its sub-brand Onvo's collaboration with ride-hailing giant Didi following widespread discussion sparked by a video.

The collaboration is not a company-level initiative, a Nio spokesperson told CnEVPost, adding that it was a pilot test by a regional team using several vehicles for high-end ride-hailing services.

Earlier this week, a video circulating on Weibo showed Onvo delivering some vehicles for Didi's ride-hailing fleet.

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This sparked extensive discussion, with some suggesting the move could harm Onvo's brand image.

Earlier today, local media outlet Yicai cited Nio's response as saying that the tie-up was a misunderstanding.

The team leader had previously worked at Didi and had some friends from the company, so they tried to use several Onvo L60 vehicles to join Didi's premium fleet, according to Yicai.

Onvo launched its first model, the L60, on September 19, 2024, with deliveries beginning on September 28.

The L60 targets the mass market but remains in the mid-to-high-end price range, starting at RMB 206,900 ($28,800).

Onvo will launch the L90 flagship SUV in the third quarter and the L80 large five-seat SUV in the fourth quarter, according to William Li, founder, chairman, and CEO of Nio, during an earnings call on June 3.

Nio aims for the three Onvo models to achieve monthly sales of 25,000 units in the fourth quarter, according to Li.

The EV maker delivered 23,231 vehicles in May, up 13.08 percent from 20,544 in the same period last year, but down 2.80 percent from 23,900 in April.

The Nio main brand delivered 13,270 vehicles in May, down 35.41 percent year-on-year and down 31.13 percent month-on-month.

Onvo delivered 6,281 vehicles in May, up 42.75 percent from April.

Firefly delivered 3,680 vehicles in May. This marks the first full month of deliveries for this Nio sub-brand.

($1 = RMB 7.1832)