- Nio and Tuhu will integrate resources to provide full-lifecycle vehicle services for their users.
- The partnership announcement comes as Nio prepares to deliver its 80,000th third-generation ES8, a high-margin model that drove its first quarterly profit.
Nio Inc announced Tuesday that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Tuhu Car Inc, China's largest independent auto service platform.
The two companies will focus on user operations, integrating resources to provide full-lifecycle vehicle services for their respective users, according to a statement.
The partnership currently only involves the main Nio brand, excluding its two sub-brands, Onvo and Firefly.
Tuhu currently has over 150 million registered users. The partnership represents an exploration of collaborative innovation between a premium EV brand and an auto aftermarket platform, the statement said.
The two parties will jointly advance a new model of cross-field integration between the car-life service ecosystem and the auto brand's user ecosystem to achieve synergy across online and offline resources, Nio said.
The Nio brand and Tuhu will explore shared benefits, designing and rolling out exclusive perks covering lifestyle and travel convenience for users.
Through this approach, the two companies will not only serve users' vehicle-related needs but also explore the extension of the luxury auto aftermarket from product services to lifestyle upgrades.
The strategic partnership comes as Nio prepares to deliver its 80,000th third-generation ES8 SUV (sport utility vehicle) this week.
Based on the recent delivery pace, the company will reach this milestone this week, Yang Bo, Nio's head of user operations, said in a Weibo post on Monday.
Nio just completed the delivery of its 70,000th unit of the model on February 27. The latest target indicates the new SUV is poised to see continued strong sales in March.
The delivery milestone follows a historic financial turnaround for the company, with Nio reporting its first-ever quarterly profit since inception last week.
