Shanghai-based electric automaker, NIO, has reached a milestone and produced its 100,000th electric vehicle.
The company delivered 7,257 cars in its recent first quarter, a 373% year-over-year increase, while for the quarter ending March 31, 2021, 20,060 vehicles were delivered, a record increase of 423% year-over-year and up 16% from Q4 2020.
As for total deliveries of the NIO’s ES8, ES6 and EC6 as of March 31, 2021, the company had 95,701 and said it was on track to hit its 100,000th vehicle during the first week of April.
According to @42how_, the 100,000th vehicle was a black ES8, the company’s flagship premium 7-seater electric SUV.
The 100,000th #NIO that rolled off the line is a black #ES8. $NIO pic.twitter.com/W1SAYbC0W9
— 42HOW (@42how_) April 7, 2021
NIO CEO William Li said the company is capable of producing 10,000 units per month, and were if it not for the supply chain disruption, it would be possible as they had days of making 400 cars per day last month.
#NIO’s William Li: If not affected by supply chain, NIO has already achieved a daily production capacity of 400 units for a few days in March, which means NIO’s able to achieve a monthly production capacity of 10,000 units. $NIO pic.twitter.com/WznESpqWpS
— 42HOW (@42how_) April 7, 2021
#NIO’s William Li: Supply chain partners affected by chip shortage & battery production pressure. Current monthly production capacity of 7,500 is guaranteed under pressure. We’ve expanded production capacity to annual output of 150,000 single shift & 300,000 double shifts. $NIO pic.twitter.com/VNl1zyxAZa
— 42HOW (@42how_) April 7, 2021
In late March, NIO announced it had suspended production temporarily for five working days at its plant in Hefei, due to the global semiconductor shortage, which affected its delivery forecast for Q1 to 19,500. But as the Q1 2021 results showed, NIO squeaked by to break 20,000 vehicles delivered.
While NIO grows in China, the king so far remains Tesla in the country when it comes to EVs. In February, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y accounted for over 18,000 vehicles sold in China, behind the leader of the minuscule golf-cart-like EV, Wuling HongGuang. Nio ranked ninth and tenth respectively with its ES6 and EC6 seeing just over 4,200 vehicles sold in February.
