NIO(US:NIO) 阿尔法工场研究院·2025-09-05 00:07Core Viewpoint - The strategy of "price reduction for sales volume" has become a common approach for many car manufacturers in the competitive landscape of the electric vehicle (EV) market, but its effectiveness varies among companies like NIO, which faces significant challenges [2][3]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - The penetration rate of the new energy vehicle industry has surpassed 45%, indicating a shift from "incremental competition" to "stock competition," marking the end of easy growth for car manufacturers [3]. - NIO's second-quarter delivery figures show a total of approximately 72,100 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 25.6% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 71.2%, but this growth is largely attributed to price reductions [5][10]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Despite the increase in delivery numbers, NIO continues to incur losses, with a gross margin of only 10.3%, significantly lower than competitors like Tesla and Li Auto [3][14]. - NIO's revenue for the second quarter reached 19 billion yuan, reflecting a 9% year-on-year growth, but the quality of this growth is questioned due to the reliance on price cuts [3][14]. Group 3: Sales Strategy and Challenges - NIO's strategy to achieve a sales target of 440,000 vehicles in 2025 is heavily reliant on the performance of its new brand, Ladao, which has not met expectations, achieving only 3.19 million units in the first half of the year [6][8]. - The company has faced internal challenges, including the resignation of Ladao's president, which highlights the pressure on sales performance and the disconnect between projected and actual sales figures [9][10]. Group 4: Future Outlook - NIO anticipates total deliveries for the third quarter to reach between 87,000 and 91,000 vehicles, but this still leaves a significant gap to meet the annual target of 440,000 vehicles [10]. - The company is exploring price reductions as a necessary strategy to boost sales, but the sustainability of profitability remains uncertain, especially with declining gross margins [12][19].