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Exclusive: How NIO plans to stay a step ahead of Tesla and German rivals in China
In a high-end shopping district in Shanghai, China sits one of the newest, premium electric vehicles in the market: the mid-sized, all-electric NIO ES6 sports utility vehicle.
Taking the spotlight inside an expansive showroom of curved glass windows, terrazzo floors, and light douglas fir wood walls, the NIO House retail gallery is as much a high-tech electronics store as it is an experience.
Five years ago, NIO didn’t even exist; it was merely an idea in tech-mogul William Li’s head. Li partnered up with Jack Cheng, a former Fiat and Ford Executive, and Lihong Qin, a former real estate executive, to form a next-generation automobile company. Since then, NIO has delivered over 15,000 vehicles, employs over 9,500 people, and built an extensive charging and battery swapping network, as the company looks to become the de-facto brand in the burgeoning electric mobility market.
NIO’s journey over the last five years hasn’t been comfortable, or cheap; the company has raised over $3.5B from investors, including a public offering on the New York Stock Exchange last year (NYSE: NIO). But the fact that the company is producing and delivering vehicles to consumers puts NIO in rare company. Aside from Tesla who spent nine years to bring their first mass production vehicle to the market, other electric vehicle companies, including Faraday Future, Lucid Motors, Canoo, and Byton have yet to deliver a vehicle to customers, let alone build a factory for car production.
While it’s become commonplace to hear NIO being referred to as “the Tesla of China” – both are publicly traded companies that design and manufacture premium electric vehicles – the differences far outweigh their similarities. Where Tesla seeks to streamline its retail presence, NIO is investing heavily into the buildout of designer showrooms and members-only clubs for vehicle owners. Tesla has focused exclusively on fast-charging solutions, yet NIO is placing a massive bet on battery swapping technology and a move-fast-at-lower-risk manufacturing strategy that puts the company a step ahead of the competition.
Manufacturing in China
Five and a half hours outside of Shanghai (two hours by bullet train) in Hefei, China, NIO is building thousands of electric vehicles in a state of the art factory. Spooling up production last April, it’s an understatement to say that NIO was new to the vehicle manufacturing business. While the company had spent years developing their electric platform and first SUV, the ES8, they lacked manufacturing expertise to bring it to market. Designing and building their own factory, costing billions and taking years, wasn’t an option. Instead, NIO partnered with the state-owned manufacturer, JAC Motors.
JAC and NIO were considered an odd couple when the two announced their partnership in April 2016; JAC more well-known for their low-cost vehicles, rather than their craftsmanship. Outside of their automotive manufacturing expertise, JAC holds a highly coveted license to manufacture cars in China. Such a permit and strong relationship with the government is attractive to NIO and other automakers, including VW who is considering purchasing a large chunk of JAC. “Last November, the Chinese government endorsed this type of joint-manufacturing structure. With that preferential policy in place, NIO can put more investment and focus into R&D and the development of our user network and services,” William Li, NIO’s CEO, told Teslarati.
To counter perceptions of low-quality, NIO decided to bring on their own manufacturing team, to ensure that the vehicles were not only as high-quality as the competition, but better.
Enter Feng Shen and Victor Gu, two former Volvo executives charged with setting up and running the 2.5M sqft NIO-JAC facility. While the two joined NIO at different times, Shen had previously recruited Gu to Join Volvo back in 2010. The two believe strongly in making high-quality vehicles, putting it at the top of their priorities. For example, NIO’s body scans over 1,000 different spots on each ES8 body.
“We put tremendous effort into controlling the quality of the vehicle,” Shen told Teslarati. “For example, every day we sample two vehicles, evaluating the quality of the vehicle through a custom quality audit.”
Inside the NIO factory is a combined workforce of 2270 NIO and JAC employees, working to produce both the ES8 and ES6. The ES6 is in test production and expected to be in customers hands in June. NIO’s facility features some of the most advanced robotics in the industry, with their all-aluminum body line achieving 97.5% automation. NIO claims the body line is the most advanced of its type in China. The facility is currently able to produce 100,000 vehicles per year but can be expanded to produce 150,000 units and beyond.
The expansive white floors in NIO’s factory and ceiling that’s outfitted with 512 massive skylights fill the facility with natural light. The factory uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling, while thousands of solar panels produce energy to minimize the facility’s carbon footprint. Outside the facility, NIO is in the process of installing basketball courts and a soccer field on the factory grounds for employees to enjoy.
Converting Metal into Cash
NIO has the capability to produce thousands of vehicles per month and has ample runway before reaching maximum production capacity. The company sells its vehicles direct-to-consumer, and its streamlined logistics allows the company to hold little inventory.
When NIO launched their three-row premium SUV, the ES8, last fall, demand seemed strong. Production was ramping up as the company worked to fulfill their order books, delivering over 3,000 vehicles per month in both November and December of 2018. Then came 2019, the company’s deliveries fell dramatically to a low of 811 vehicles in February. The company pointed to the overall tense economic climate in China, seasonality surrounding Chinese New Year, and dramatic cuts to electric vehicle subsidies in China.
Compared to their peers in the large and mid-size premium SUV segments, the vehicles are competitive. The ES8 starts at roughly $66,500 (without battery leasing), excluding subsidies and other EV incentives, which is significantly below competitors like the Volvo XC90 ($93,700). Additionally, the ES8 features fast acceleration, 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and a technology-forward interior. The forthcoming ES6 is entering a much larger segment than its larger sibling and is priced 7-10% lower than its peers, by Teslarati’s estimates. While the recent sales drop spooked investors, sending the company’s stock down nearly 50% from recent highs, it’s unclear if reduced demand is a long-term issue.
Regardless of recent sales issues, NIO is plowing full steam ahead. The company has 35 NIO Houses and pop-up stores open throughout China. The stores are all exquisitely designed and are built for both potential customers and current owners. Potential customers can check out the vehicles, take test drives, and purchase NIO merchandise; current NIO owners can head upstairs to the owners-only club.
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- NIO House (Hangzhau West Lake)
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- NIO House, club area (Shanghai)
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- NIO House (Hefei)
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- NIO House (Hangzhou West Lake)
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- NIO House Library (Beijing)
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- NIO House (Hangzhou West Lake)
NIO’s clubs are focused on providing a “joyful lifestyle beyond the car.” Essentially, they are places where owners can hang out, enjoy a latte, read books, attend events, and socialize with other owners. NIO even creates a custom drink for each NIO House, allowing owners to try out new flavors at each location.
The company believes that private clubs add value to a customers lifestyle and introduce them to a luxury-focused lifestyle. While not all owners will use the clubs regularly, NIO estimates that their owners visit 1-2 times per month. While it’s too soon to conclude whether NIO’s expansive retail spaces and clubs drive sales, it would be mild to stay that the company is betting big on the strategy.
If clubs and retail stores aren’t your schtick, NIO still has a plan for you, namely: the NIO App. Like the physical locations, the NIO app is both a place for potential customers and current owners. While the company has just over 15,000 vehicles on the road, NIO’s app has over 800,000 downloads and over 200,000 daily active users.
The NIO app is as much of a social media app as it is a vehicle-companion. Users can post photos, share their recent trips, report issues with their vehicles, or share general posts about their lives. While the app is currently only available in Mandarin, you can often find posts from users announcing their reservations, deliveries, or exciting road trips. The NIO app is great for fostering connections between potential users and current owners, allowing people to act as ambassadors for the brand; thus creating a continuous sales funnel for the company.
For owners, the app has a whole other layer of functionality. They can manage their vehicles, send bugs and feedback, and schedule a service appointment. Additionally, owners can use the “one-click for power” feature to have NIO specialist come to recharge their vehicle, either with a mobile van or at a NIO supercharger or swap station.
Building Out a Services Business.
To date, NIO has seen the service used over 100,000 times by customers. While charging at home is readily available for most EV owners in the US or EU, NIO reported that only 78% of their owners were able to install a home charger, making the service more than just an added value, but a necessity for some.
All NIO owners can use the “one-click for power” feature 12 times per year at no cost, but after that NIO offers a per-time fee or a monthly subscription. NIO charges ¥980/month or ¥10,800/year ($145/month or $1604/year) to give owners the service 15 times per month. NIO opened this service up to non-NIO vehicles at the Shanghai Auto Show, allowing all EV owners to subscribe to the service.
In addition to their power subscriptions, the company allows owners to lease their batteries. For ¥1660/mo ($247/mo) owners can lease either the 70kWh or 84kWh packs, dropping ¥100,000 ($15,000) off the purchase price of the vehicle. This opens up NIO’s vehicles to a wider audience, with the lowest ES8 costing ¥348,000 ($51,600) and the ES6 costing ¥258,000 ($38,300). In comparison, the Tesla Model X starts at ¥737,100 ($109,500) and the Model 3 costing ¥377,000 ($56,000). While NIO owners will continue leasing the battery pack for the entirety of their ownership, it will allow them to upgrade to larger capacity batteries in the future. Between power subscriptions and battery leases, NIO could be building out a substantial services business.
Is it sticking?
With production facilities, a strong retail presence, and a dedicated power-delivery network, NIO certainly doesn’t have a capacity issue. The company could start delivering 5,000+ cars next month and have plenty of capacity and staff to handle the volume. NIO’s vehicles don’t seem to be the problem, they’re well-built, packed full of industry-leading features, and competitively priced in their segments.
What is unclear, is whether NIO’s expensive retail and club strategy are truly generating enough sales. The company is doing minimal advertising, leaving their stores and app as its core sources for sales. With over 9,500 employees on payroll and a factory running below capacity, the company is under pressure to raise sales amid economic headwinds, which is no easy feat.
Between the company’s focus on electric SUV’s, a unique retail strategy, a lifestyle-focused app, and a variety of user-centric services, NIO differentiates itself from both competitors abroad and at home. Whether the upcoming ES6 is a hit, is to be seen, but the company has all the pieces in place to deliver a positive ownership experience for buyers.
Tesla has expanded Grok from an in-car chatbot into a hands-free work assistant. On September 22, Tesla officially launched Grok Bot capability, confirming that drivers can now manage email, calendars, files, chats, and tasks by voice and then hand more ambitious errands to the AI-fueled productivity cheat code.
Grok itself is built by xAI. The new car features split into two layers: Connectors link Grok to outside accounts. Grok Bot, currently limited to SuperGrok Heavy subscribers, can complete multi-step tasks such as placing a usual coffee order, booking a reservation, or scheduling an appointment. It truly puts the driver in a nearly complete hands-free driving and productivity setting, with ironically the only task truly requiring your hands being to touch the “Start Self-Driving” button.
We were granted access to Grok Bot’s Tesla integration a few weeks back, and we’ve been able to do a handful of things with it. On a handful of occasions, we’ve used it to order food and have it ready for pickup slightly later into the evening; we’ve managed to pick up groceries after a day of errands with Grok Bot, and outside of the car, it’s helped with budgeting and even my fantasy football draft.
We’ve been using @Grok Bot in Tesla for a few weeks after gaining Early Access, which we thank the awesome engineers for
Grok Bot makes things much easier across your entire life. From the Tesla, I’ve used it to place pickup orders for my Fiancée and I, we’ve ordered groceries… https://t.co/ZJSLieG1s5
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 22, 2026
Tesla shows another way to utilize it: in their demo, a driver says “Hey Grok,” asks the assistant to check an inbox, and hears that a message concerns a weekend reservation. Grok then scans the calendar, reports no conflicts, and confirms the Tahoe trip is clear. It can also add check-in details to a road-trip itinerary. The point is not novelty chat. It is keeping eyes on the road, or on Full Self-Driving, while the car handles the paperwork of a trip:
.@Grok in your Tesla can now do meaningful work for you
With Connectors, you can manage your inbox, clean up your calendar, or talk through existing files/chat/tasks – all hands-free pic.twitter.com/W1LuybQh0P
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 22, 2026
This Grok rollout is not a gadget add-on as much as it is Tesla’s thesis in software form: the car should stop being a machine you operate and start being a room you occupy.
Connectors and Grok Bot treat the cabin as an office that happens to move, and that has truly been Tesla’s intention for years now. The car has slowly become an extension of a home more than a vehicle. Inbox, calendar, groceries, takeout, and reservations become voice work, not dashboard chores that you need to do before you get in your car.
Responsibility shifts from the driver to the stack, and as many Tesla owners rely on FSD for travel, Grok Bot now handles the monotony of dinner reservations or appointments.
Elon Musk
X changed how everyone gets paid, and this lawsuit shows why
X sued a Bitcoin account network over fake payouts as its creator pay model shifts
Elon Musk’s X has taken a Bitcoin-focused engagement ring to court, and the case doubles as a receipt for how differently the platform pays creators today. The company filed suit in the High Court of England and Wales against Vivek Kumar Sen and Zamyang Sherpa, alleging the pair ran six accounts, including @Vivek4real_, @Bitcoin_Teddy and @TrendingBitcoin, as one coordinated operation to fake the kind of engagement that used to translate directly into money.
According to the filing, first reported by Gizmodo, the accounts posted near identical “BREAKING” crypto headlines seconds apart, in one case 11 seconds, then had three more handles like, reply to and repost the material to manufacture what X called “a false appearance of genuine, human communication and interaction.” X says the scheme pulled in at least £207,384, about $278,000, and pegs its own investigation and remediation costs at another £75,000. The accounts were suspended August 18. X general counsel James Burnham announced the case on X last weekend, writing that the company “will act forcefully to protect our platform and the earnings of genuine creators.” Musk’s own reaction, posted shortly after, was three words: “Don’t mess with 𝕏.”
Don’t mess with 𝕏 https://t.co/HSmd5hL6aQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2026
The timing lines up with a a recent update to how X pays its creators. The program these accounts allegedly gamed, Creator Revenue Sharing, launched in mid 2023 and paid out based on how much a post got engaged with. Originality was never part of the formula, which is exactly how the platform ended up flooded with recycled clips, copy pasted “BREAKING” posts and replies engineered purely to farm reactions from paying subscribers.
X tried patching the model more than once, including an April cut to aggregator payouts and a March regional weighting change that Musk personally paused hours after it was announced. X retired Creator Revenue Sharing for good on September 7 and opened its replacement, Original Content Rewards, the next day.
Today, we’re launching Original Content Rewards.
The reality is that Revenue Sharing had reached a point where its incentives were misaligned. Creators should be focused on bringing net new content to the platform instead of maximizing payouts. We could have kept adding more… pic.twitter.com/VJIxqlPrjm
— Allegra Jacchia (@allegrajacchia) August 7, 2026
The new math is stricter. Payouts now come only from qualified impressions, meaning unique Home Timeline views from Premium subscribers where at least half the post is visible, and replies no longer count toward eligibility at all. Copied posts, reuploaded media and reposts without meaningful changes are explicitly excluded. Allegra Jacchia, senior product manager for Creators at SpaceXAI, which now runs X’s product and AI work following xAI’s acquisition of the platform, put it bluntly, saying the goal is to reward creators who bring original ideas and perspective, “not those who have become best at gaming the system.”
Read that way, the lawsuit isn’t really about six crypto accounts. It’s X putting a dollar figure on what the old incentive structure cost, then suing to collect it right as the new one goes live. For live updates on how the case and the new rewards program shake out, follow @Teslarati on X.
Last week, Tesla sent me the Model Y L for five days to test, assess, and enjoy for journalistic purposes. It’s always a treat when I get any media vehicle, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tesla and Ford for hands-on reviews of their products.
This one was exceptionally exciting for a few reasons: first, because it is the car I own, but bigger, so I was really excited to see if that extra space was worth it; and second, because my Fiancée (we’re down to just 18 days ’til she’s officially my wife!!!) and I plan to fill a car up with kids in the near future, so it was really nice to have a trial with a car that would potentially be in our driveway in a few years.
I did a full 10-minute video review of the Model Y L, which I will post at the bottom of this more condensed written version. If you prefer to watch a review, go ahead and skip to the bottom for that.
For those who prefer the writing, I’ll break down the big things about the Model Y L that I noticed, focusing on the big addition/difference that this car has from the Model Y: the third row. Tesla also added small-but-mighty changes to the Y L that I really wish were on my Model Y Premium, so I’ll be sure to mention those as well.
What Makes It Different from the Model Y?
Credit: TESLARATI
The first thing to note is that the interior of this vehicle, from the front row, is generally the same. It truly does feel like you’re in the same exact car with a slightly different seating layout. Of course, Tesla interiors do feel this way, at least with the Model 3 and Model Y, but there are no drastic differences between the Model Y L and the Model Y from the front row.
This should be expected, so definitely do not go into it thinking you’ll know you’re in a different car. It is a very similar experience to the Model Y.
Tesla Model Y L: new features that make it better than the standard Model Y
The true differences come from the back two rows. The only true difference from the front is the addition of a new Dynamics Feature that falls under the “Ride & Handling Priority” menu, which now allows you to adjust the suspension damping to prioritize a comfortable ride for everyone or one that is noticeably better from the rear two rows. In terms of ride comfort, the front rows definitely feel the impact of this; it is a noticeable difference and much stiffer in the driver’s seat with this setting turned to prioritize the rear occupants.
What changes from an engineering standpoint between these two settings @elonmusk @larsmoravy?
There is a very noticeable difference in comfort from the driver’s seat between these two settings https://t.co/62bdZJOr26 pic.twitter.com/KFP12jleHj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 14, 2026
There are also a series of small improvements, like the rear taillight is now up toward the spoiler, which must be a strategy for making the rear glass actually useful in the Y L compared to the regular Y.
Pretty crazy how much different the rear windshield is compared to the Model Y
Not even close in size https://t.co/62bdZJOr26 pic.twitter.com/IjNbWwMBcS
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 14, 2026
Some other small changes are the addition of small magnets for the sub-trunk lid, which is a great addition and something I’d like to do in my Model Y; it sounds to me as if the Model Y L liftgate motor is less whiny than the one in my Model Y; and all three rows of climate are controllable from the front touchscreen.
I talk about them in a short video here:
🚨 Five things you might not know about the new Tesla Model Y L! pic.twitter.com/I42VTQoS5R
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 14, 2026
Second and Third-Row Legroom
The major feature of the Model Y L is the third row, and Tesla did a great job of making it spacious enough for more than just your nine-year-old nephew. It actually does have a suitable amount of legroom for adults, but it is dependent on how tall the people are in the first- and second-row seats in front of you.
This is where I caught some slack from those who have also sat in the Model Y L and believe there is enough room for anyone of any height. I certainly believe that those who are not complainers could sit back there for a multiple-hour drive and not complain. I would enjoy sitting in the back row because I think it is comfortable; the vents for air are perfectly positioned on the C pillars for maximum comfort, and I found that there was enough room back there for me. I’m 5′ 8″, so I’m definitely not tall. However, I found that I had more than enough legroom:
Credit: TESLARATI
The picture above is where my Fiancèe could sit comfortably in the second row in front of me, and she is 5′ 1″. There is a lot of give and take with these seats, and I believe most groups could make it work. She was comfortable in the second-row seat in front in this position, and as you can see, I have plenty of room. She could easily come back a few inches, and I’d still be comfortable.
This is where I think people would truly benefit from seeing what the space in this car looks like for themselves. To me, I found it more than suitable for a group of friends to go out in and for everyone to be comfortable. There might be some strategy to it if you have some taller friends, but it’s definitely doable.
Overall, the space in the Y L in the back two rows is great: the second-row Captain’s Chairs have mechanical armrests that go down automatically when you exit the car, and come back up on their own when you return. The second row also has ventilated seats; you’ll only have the heat option in the third row.
Credit: TESLARATI
Overall Thoughts
It was really a great five days with the Model Y L, and I do believe that this is a great car for families. I do not believe it is the perfect one. It is really an excellent option for those who can make do with what is truly a compact crossover stretched out to make way for a third row. However, I think that more families simply want something large, like Tahoe or Expedition large, and the Model Y L does not necessarily answer that call.
I think it is more than reasonable for a family of six to have this car and make it work. It is safe, it has Full Self-Driving, which I believe will be a non-negotiable for me moving forward in car buying; and it is relatively affordable, with the Launch Edition coming in at a price of $61,990 before options. Not going to a gas station for the past year has really been a lifesaver for me, especially with home charging saving us so much money.
Tesla will need to have an answer for the families that want something like a Cyber SUV or simply something that qualifies as a full-size SUV. I just truly do not think that every family will see this as enough space, and I think that’s understandable. If someone were to want to take an overnight trip with their four kids, I don’t know if it would be the easiest cargo situation because without that third row folded down, that trunk space is confined to just 14.8 cubic feet. I couldn’t take four kids and a wife to Ocean City for a week with using only the trunk space. We’d likely have to get creative, and I think that’s what many families want to avoid.
For comparison’s sake, a Tahoe offers 25.5 cubic feet of trunk space, which is still tight, but much more manageable and forgiving.
With all that being said, the Model Y L is still a great option and I’d be willing to see past the cargo issues because of FSD and the safety of Tesla vehicles overall. For our full review, check out the video below:
Tesla integrates Grok Bot into its vehicles for the ultimate personal assistant
X changed how everyone gets paid, and this lawsuit shows why
