Core Viewpoint - NIO's significant R&D investment has led to a substantial net loss, contrasting with its competitors who have shown profitability or reduced losses, highlighting different strategic approaches in the electric vehicle market [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance - In Q1 2025, NIO reported a net loss of 6.89 billion yuan, while competitors Li Auto achieved a net profit of 650 million yuan, and XPeng and Leap Motor reduced their losses to 660 million yuan and 130 million yuan respectively [1]. - NIO's revenue reached 65.73 billion yuan, reflecting an 18.18% year-on-year growth, while Li Auto's revenue was 144.5 billion yuan, growing by 16.64% [3]. - NIO's total liabilities stood at 94.1 billion yuan with an asset-liability ratio of 87.45%, indicating a high level of debt compared to Li Auto's 56.09% [3]. Group 2: R&D Investment - NIO's R&D expenditure in Q1 2025 was 3.18 billion yuan, accounting for 26.4% of its revenue, which is among the highest ratios in the global automotive industry [4]. - The R&D spending of competitors was lower, with XPeng at 1.98 billion yuan, Li Auto at 2.5 billion yuan, and Leap Motor at 800 million yuan [4]. - NIO's CEO emphasized the company's commitment to long-term R&D investment despite operational pressures to reduce costs [1]. Group 3: Accounting Treatment of R&D - NIO and other new energy vehicle companies prefer to expense all R&D costs, contrasting with traditional automakers like Great Wall Motors, which capitalized nearly 50% of their R&D expenses [5][6]. - The choice between capitalizing or expensing R&D costs reflects a strategic decision impacting short-term financial performance versus long-term growth [6]. - The automotive industry generally experiences high debt levels due to the substantial investments required for new model development and production [4].