Image: NIO
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO is set to begin production at its third factory in Hefei, Anhui province this September, according to company founder, chairman, and CEO William Li — reports CnEVPost.
Li revealed the production timeline during a tour of NIO’s second Hefei plant over the weekend, attended by Chinese writer and ET9 owner Wu Xiaobo and nearly 100 entrepreneurs. The event was streamed live and reconfirmed the timeline Li previously mentioned during NIO’s June earnings call.
NIO’s new factory, dubbed F3, will primarily focus on supporting its budget-friendly Onvo sub-brand, with production lines capable of running double shifts if needed. Pre-sales for Onvo’s flagship SUV, the L90, are slated to kick off on July 10.
Li also dropped a key detail about the L90’s pricing during the event, confirming it will start below RMB 300,000 (roughly $41,870 USD), amid intensifying competition in China’s EV market. “The starting price for the L90 will definitely be under 300,000 yuan — there’s no way else; we all have to go all out now,” Li said during the live stream, highlighting the growing pressure on automakers to offer competitive pricing.
The Onvo L90 is a large SUV designed to compete with the Tesla Model Y, which starts at RMB 263,500 (about $36,700 USD), and rivals from domestic automakers, like the Li Auto L9. It first debuted at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, where it was showcased with standout storage options, including an ultra-large frunk.
The L90 will also mark the first Onvo vehicle launch under new brand president Shen Fei, who succeeded Alan Ai earlier this year. Shen recently teased that the L90 has completed production and is “ready for action,” hinting at imminent deliveries.
With its aggressive pricing strategy and new factory coming online, NIO is clearly positioning Onvo to compete head-on in China’s increasingly crowded EV market.
