7 Takeaways From Nio's Q3 Earnings Call

Nio Inc – ADR NIO reported strong third-quarter results Tuesday and issued upbeat guidance.

Aside of the details revealed in the earnings release, the following are takeaways from the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer's earnings call. 

Nio's Competitive Positioning:  Nio's ES6 has been the fastest-selling electric SUV in China for 13 consecutive months.

ES8 is now the top-selling premium electric SUV priced above 400,000 yuan ($60,933) in China.

Nio ranked first in J.D. Power's China new energy vehicle experience index in September.

Nio shrugged off Tesla Inc TSLA competition by suggesting the competition for Tesla in China is between the Model Y and the Model 3, and that it has its own unique advantages in products and services.

Nio On Margins: Nio said the vehicle margin received a boost from a favorable product mix, with more higher-priced ES8s sold.

The cost of production declined 7,000 yuan ($1,067) per vehicle due to reduced battery pack costs and also EDS.

Related Link: Dalio's Bridgewater Nearly Doubled Stake In Nio As Institutional Investors Pile Into EV Maker

The BaaS Effect: Nio rolled out its battery-as-a-service program in the third quarter. The company discussed the impact of the service on deliveries and orders.

Since the launch of BaaS, NIO said it has successfully closed the loop through vehicle-battery separation, battery subscriptions and chargeable, swappable and upgradable battery solutions.

New order intake broke Nio's projections and was at a record in October thanks to the BaaS boost.

The pick-up rate for BaaS reached 35% for the first half of November.

Nio's Production Capacity: Nio targets expanding the overall supply chain production capacity to 7,500 units per month in January 2021, up from 5,000 units per month.

Nio's R&D Update: Nio also shed light on achievement on the R&D front and also investment.

Navigate-on-pilot, which was made available for use via firmware-over-the-air in October, has increased the competitiveness of Nio Pilot, the company said. 

More details on second-gen Nio Pilot will be shared at Nio Day.

R&D investment is to be increased, primarily due to investment in NP 2.0.

Nio's Product Pipeline: Nio also announced vehicle launch plans.

The company is working on new sedan on the NP 2.0 platform.

A second sedan model is also in the works.

Nio expressed confidence in providing the most advanced chipset for NP 2.0 with the best performance in the industry, with more details to come at Nio Day.

Nio's Globalization Plans: Nio plans to enter global EV market in the second half of 2021, and is planning a step-by-step foray.

Outlining its globalization strategy, Nio said it will stick to its users and price model; reaffirm its premium brand positioning; and localize service to suit the European customers' needs.

NIO Price Action: At last check, Nio shares were slipping 5.73% to $43.92. 

Courtesy photo.