Thread by @jenzhuscott

Visited @NIOGlobal factory in Hefei with NIO Capital CEO Ian Zhu & a small group I brought. No cameras in the actual factory but just want to offer a few highlights for those who can and want to reflect.

The factory is of course full of robotic arms & single-task robots. They've figured out using one production line to produce different models/colours of cars. I can't imagine the engineering complexity & precision to pull this off. We saw each car on the finishing line was different colours/models. This is a significant manufacturing breakthrough.

NIO has 1500 human working on the production lines to produce 300k cars per yr. But they have 11,000 R & D staff all over the world. US' debates focus on the 1500 but not how to systematically grow the 11,000 base from quality education, but relying on immigration. Unsustainable.

NIO created battery swapping mechanism which is deeply thoughtful for the future: systematically maintain, update, recycle batteries & its manufacturing. Building alliances with fellow car makers. Their swapping stations have covered all the major cities & highways all over China. This is the version of future I hope we will have.

NIO is the first Chinese car maker that starts to design its own chips. Still manufactured externally but given everything going on in semi both in the world, this is a necessary move.

To my surprise, NIO Life (club houses, lifestyle products) is their first business became profitable. This is an expensive bet but I hope the brand equity/loyalty will pay off. (The toy-looking hats are decorations for the in-car robot Nomi. Apparently all 20 years old dress their Nomi up & collect different styles)

I started to pay attention to NIO when I first heard @WilliamLiNIO the founder talking abt the 'why' of battery swapping. William is a visionary leader who is currently making several expensive bets. By now I think NIO will survive, but if William can pull it off, NIO will be a long-lasting global leader. Best luck.