Jing Chang

Jing Chang from China International Capital Corporation Limited inquired about the advantages and necessity of battery swapping versus rapid fast charging, especially concerning infrastructure construction and NIO's mid-to-long-term plans.

Answer

William Li, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of NIO Inc., welcomed industry participation in charging infrastructure, noting that charging and swapping are complementary. He highlighted swapping's superior speed and experience, its systemic solution for mismatched vehicle and battery lifecycles, and its role as a distributed energy storage system with significant commercial value in China's new power system, offering a unique competitive advantage.

Jing Chang asked for details on the upcoming ES9's capabilities and pricing position compared to the ET9, and sought elaboration on the advantages and necessity of battery swapping versus fast charging, including mid-to-long-term infrastructure plans.

Answer

William Li, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO, clarified that the ET9 is an executive sedan while the ES9 is a tech flagship SUV, with the ES9 incorporating many advanced ET9 technologies alongside its own innovations. He emphasized that charging and swapping are complementary, with swapping offering unmatched speed, systematically addressing mismatched battery/vehicle lifecycles, and serving as a distributed energy storage system. NIO plans to deploy approximately 1,000 new Power Swap stations annually.

Jing Chang from CICC asked for insights into the underlying success factors for the L90 and ES8 models beyond technology and platform upgrades, specifically mentioning potential changes in supply chain management or dealer networks.

Answer

A moderator, speaking for management, attributed the success to a combination of factors. These include a superior technology roadmap (900V architecture, swappable batteries), more precise product definition based on lessons learned, and an optimized supply chain strategy. The company now focuses on win-win cooperation with partners who believe in NIO's long-term vision, which helps achieve a competitive cost structure.

Jin Chang from CICC asked for more details on the underlying successful experiences of the L90 and ES8 models, beyond technology and platform upgrades, specifically regarding changes in supply chain and dealer networks that contributed to their enhanced product capability and competitive pricing with solid gross profit margins.

Answer

William Li, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO, through a translator, attributed success to continuous tech innovation, including the 900V high-voltage platform, integrated design, and the in-house developed smart driving chip (NX9031), which offer cost and user experience advantages. Stanley Qu, CFO, and a translator added that supply chain strategy adjustments, focusing on win-win partnerships with long-term potential, have been crucial for achieving competitive cost structures for new models.

Jing Chang of China International Capital Corporation (CICC) asked for details on NIO's overseas market strategy, particularly for the Firefly brand's global expansion, including targets, adaptation to tariffs, timing, and pricing.

Answer

Management explained a strategic shift in global expansion, moving from a direct sales model to partnering with local distributors, with over 10 partners already signed. They stated that the Firefly brand will roll out in several European and other countries this year but emphasized a long-term view for international development without providing aggressive short-term volume targets.

Jing Chang of CICC asked for details on the new SkyOS operating system, including its technical challenges, advantages, and expected product improvements. She also inquired about the drivers behind the significant improvement in the 'other income' gross margin in Q2 and the outlook for the charging and battery swap business to achieve profitability.

Answer

CEO William Li described SkyOS as the world's first full-domain vehicle OS, a software cornerstone that enhances safety, stability, and R&D efficiency. He attributed the improved 'other sales' margin to more profitable after-sales services and the decoupling of lifetime free swaps from vehicle sales. He noted a single swap station breaks even at over 60 swaps/day (current average is 30-40), but the overall business remains at a loss due to legacy free-swap users and the strategic deployment of stations ahead of demand.

Jing Chang from CICC asked for an explanation for the expanded negative operating cash flow in the second quarter and questioned how recent team changes and new regulations would affect the development and deployment of autonomous driving functions.

Answer

CFO Tie Li attributed the negative operating cash flow to the payment of prior-period payables under previous 3-4 month terms, noting that the new 60-day term will likely result in continued negative cash flow in Q3 before improving in Q4. President Dongguin Ma acknowledged minor team departures in the AD sector but affirmed the team remains strong with new leadership and that VLA development is on track. He views stricter regulations as a positive step that favors technically proficient companies like Li Auto.

Inquired about the company's sales targets for the year, flexibility in strategy, and mid-term domestic sales outlook for family SUVs. Also asked about the core difficulties and competitive differentiation of their VLA ADAS technology.

Answer

Li Auto aims to grow at double the rate of the premium NEV market, with significant potential from expanding into lower-tier cities via its 'Star' program. For ADAS, the main challenges are in pretraining the foundational model and reinforcement learning. Their differentiation lies in training the model to understand 3D space and using a proprietary world model for efficient, low-cost simulation and iteration.

Jing Chang inquired about Li Auto's 2025 sales targets, its strategy for adjusting volume and pricing, and its mid-term domestic sales goals. She also asked about the core technical difficulties and differentiators of the VLA Driver ADAS model.

Answer

CEO Xiang Li reiterated the goal to grow at double the rate of the premium NEV market, citing expansion into lower-tier cities as a key driver. He explained that the VLA model's key differentiator is its foundational model's ability to understand 3D space and its use of reinforcement learning in a proprietary, physics-based simulated world.

Jing Chang from CICC asked about Li Auto's 2025 sales target flexibility in response to market changes and its mid-term sales goals for high-end family SUVs. She also sought details on the core technical difficulties and differentiators of the VLA driver ADAS model.

Answer

Management reiterated its goal to grow at double the rate of the premium NEV market, driven by BEV launches and expansion into lower-tier cities via its STAR program. They explained that the VLA model's key differentiator is its foundational training on 3D spatial data and its reinforcement learning process using a proprietary, physics-based world model for simulation.

Jing Chang requested more detail on the logic behind Li Auto's distribution network adjustments, such as increasing the proportion of stores in auto parks. She also asked about plans for entering lower-tier cities and how the network is being prepared for the launch of BEV models next year.

Answer

SVP James Liangjun Zou elaborated on the direct sales strategy, which involves replacing underperforming mall stores with larger retail centers in leading auto parks across the top 150 cities. He provided specific metrics: the proportion of auto park stores increased from 24% to 31%, with a year-end target of nearly 50%. Total showroom display spots are planned to increase from 2,919 to over 3,600 by year-end, ensuring sufficient capacity for the new BEV models.