In the field of new energy vehicles, Weilai has always been on the cusp of the world, as the former leader of new energy vehicles, now the development is far less than the ideal Xiaopeng in "Wei Xiaoli". Whether it is the decline in sales, the fall of the market position or the continuous loss, NIO has been seen by everyone as in a difficult situation in recent years.
Recently, Weilai has announced that it has reached a battery swap business cooperation agreement with Changan and GeelyHas NIO's series of actions on the battery swap track also ushered in a new turning point for itself?
In NIO's financial figures, the high levels of R&D expenses and selling and general and administrative expenses are concerning. Compared with Ideal and Xpeng, these expenditures of NIO seem excessive. This is also the result of NIO's continuous investment in the battery swap business. Many people believe that battery swapping is a big burden for NIO and the main culprit that drags down financial data.
For NIO, the construction and operation of battery swap stations is one of its core competitiveness. The construction of NIO's battery swap stations is very fast, and the number of "1,000-car battery swap stations" is gradually increasing. This shows that NIO's layout in the field of battery swapping has achieved remarkable results. However, there are also contradictions in NIO's battery swap model, because only when the utilization rate of the battery swap station reaches a certain level, can it achieve profitability, and NIO executives have said that if 50-60 battery swaps can be achieved a day, even if the battery swap station and supercharging are priced at the same level, they are close to breakeven. However, NIO cannot stop the construction and expansion of battery swap stations, which will increase huge cost pressure.
Therefore, it seems very reasonable to find the right partner to jointly promote the development of the battery swap business. It is rumored that Changan's models that support NIO's battery swap will only be launched in 2025Although Geely has a battery swap model, it can't drive the Maple Leaf to NIO's battery swap station to change a battery. NIO's solution to this is to share the next generation of ultra-charging and quick-swapping battery packs for the general public, which means that NIO needs to invest more R&D costs, which will also increase costs in the short term.
However, from a long-term perspective, pulling more car companies to join in, pave the stall together, and work together to promote the battery swap business, coupled with the "right to speak" brought by NIO's previous investment in the battery swap business, the future development prospects are still worth affirming, and may become the key to NIO's reversal of fate.