Nio embarks on company-wide AI integration drive

Nio has confirmed it’ll ramp up its investments into AI throughout all operations in 2026. Founder and Chief Government William Li has instructed workers to deeply combine the expertise to reinforce product competitiveness and operational effectivity, establishing an AGI committee to advertise widespread adoption all through the corporate.

Throughout an inner workers assembly on 14 January, Li introduced that departments focused for substantial AI adoption embody analysis and growth, manufacturing, provide chain, finance and human sources. He additionally mentioned the matter a number of days prior, telling reporters gathered at a 6 January media occasion in Hefei: “I imagine any automotive firm with ambitions immediately have to be an AI firm – there’s no query about it.” (Translations in response to CnEVPost)

The timing of the push comes simply months after a sequence of govt departures from Nio’s autonomous driving division, together with Bai Yuli, who had led the automaker’s AI platform since August 2020. Nio subsequently restructured its clever driving division by means of a ‘4×100 relay baton’ mannequin that built-in pre-research, mass manufacturing, platform replication and vehicle-model replication right into a single unified construction.

The reorganisation may very well be an effort to deal with growth woes Li acknowledged as being “fairly difficult”. This may clarify the notice of urgency he struck throughout the inner handle, warning workers that Nio dangers falling behind if rivals undertake AI to spice up effectivity whereas it resists adaptation.

Later within the handle, Li reiterated his confidence in Nio reaching its first-ever quarterly profitability throughout Q5 2025, citing stable gross margins from the 40,000 items of the all-new ES8 delivered since launch. The automaker targets 40%-50% annual progress over the subsequent three to 5 years whereas steadily rising automobile gross margins to 17%-18%.