Xiaomi delivers record cars in March as winners emerge in China's EV race
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
0mins
Should l Buy NIO?
Source: Newsfilter
Record Deliveries: Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Leapmotor reported significant increases in electric vehicle deliveries in March, with Xiaomi delivering over 29,000 units, Xpeng 33,205, and Leapmotor 37,095, while BYD maintained its market leadership with 371,419 vehicles sold.
Quarterly Performance: In the first quarter of the year, BYD led with 986,098 vehicles sold, followed by Xpeng with 94,008 units, while Nio and Li Auto experienced slower growth compared to their competitors.
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Analyst Views on NIO
Wall Street analysts forecast NIO stock price to fall
7 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 6.500
Low
4.00
Averages
5.90
High
7.00
Current: 6.500
Low
4.00
Averages
5.90
High
7.00
About NIO
NIO Inc is a holding company mainly engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and sales of smart electric vehicles. The Company offers premium smart electric vehicles under the NIO brand, family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand, and small smart high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand. The Company focuses on building in-house capabilities including battery swapping, assisted and intelligent driving, digital technologies, electric powertrain and battery, vehicle engineering and design, among others, to control the design and development of the vehicle software and hardware architecture and the critical components.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Tesla Q1 Sales Surpass All Competitors Combined
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- Model Y Dominance: The Model Y delivered 78,591 units in Q1, accounting for over one-third of all EV sales in the U.S., further solidifying Tesla's market leadership and reflecting strong consumer preference for the model, which enhances Tesla's brand influence.
- Short-term Stock Price Recovery: TSLA stock rose 1% on Monday to $352.42, marking its third consecutive day of gains, indicating a positive market reaction to the sales data; despite skepticism from competitors, investor confidence remains strong amid market fluctuations.
- Retail Sentiment Turns Bullish: According to Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Tesla shifted from neutral to bullish with a significant increase in message volume, as investors express optimism about a potential recovery to $500, reflecting growing confidence in Tesla's future performance.
See More
Nio's Deliveries Surge Amid ES9 Launch
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- March Delivery Performance: In March 2026, Nio's deliveries exceeded 35,486 vehicles, reflecting a 136% year-on-year growth, which highlights the company's increasing competitiveness in the electric vehicle market and supports future market expansion.
- New Model Launch: Nio unveiled its next-generation SUV, the ES9, in China with a starting price of 528,000 yuan ($77,330) and a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) model, which is expected to boost sales and solidify its market position.
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See More
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- Strong Market Performance: Nio's stock rose 7% following the ES9 launch and has gained over 3% in the past two weeks, reflecting investor optimism and confidence in the new model's market potential.
- Impressive Delivery Data: In Q1 2025, Nio delivered 83,465 vehicles, nearly doubling last year's figures and exceeding the upper limit of its delivery guidance, indicating that the success of the ES8 has driven overall sales growth.
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See More
Lucid's Delivery Drop and Recalls Impact Stock
- Delivery Decline: Lucid delivered 3,093 vehicles in Q1 2024, down from 3,109 in the same quarter of 2025, primarily due to a supplier quality issue disrupting Gravity SUV deliveries, highlighting challenges in production and supply chain management.
- Frequent Recalls: The company recently recalled 3,627 units of its 2024-2026 Air sedans due to improperly secured bolts that could disconnect the half-shaft from the drive unit, increasing crash risk, which not only undermines consumer confidence but may also lead to additional repair costs.
- Stock Hits All-Time Low: Lucid's shares closed at $8.58 on Friday, marking an all-time low after opening at $8.81 and peaking at $9.01, reflecting significant market pessimism regarding its future prospects due to weak delivery and production issues.
- Weak Market Reaction: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around LCID stock remained in the 'bearish' territory, with message volume increasing from 'normal' to 'high', indicating investor concerns about Lucid's performance, contrasting sharply with the rising stock prices of competitors like Nio and XPeng.
See More
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- Annual Report Submission: NIO Inc. filed its 2025 annual report with the SEC on April 10, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to transparency and compliance, which is expected to bolster investor confidence.
- Financial Transparency: The annual report will include audited consolidated financial statements, and NIO promises to provide hard copies free of charge to shareholders and ADS holders, demonstrating the company's dedication to shareholder rights and transparency.
- Brand Positioning: As a pioneer in the global smart electric vehicle market, NIO aims to shape a sustainable future through innovative technology and exceptional experiences, further solidifying its leadership in the premium electric vehicle sector.
- Multi-Brand Strategy: NIO not only offers high-end smart electric vehicles but also expands into family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand and small high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand, showcasing its diversified product strategy to meet varying consumer demands.
See More
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- Intensifying Market Competition: The ES9 enters a highly competitive segment of China's premium EV market, facing direct competition from new models like the XPeng GX and Zeekr 9X, while also contending with strong demand for hybrid rivals such as the Aito M9 and Li Auto L9, which offer better long-distance usability.
- Investor Confidence Wanes: Although the ES9 is considered Nio's most important product this year, investor skepticism about whether its pricing can replicate the success of the ES8 has led to a decline in stock price, particularly in the context of historically weaker demand for pure electric vehicles in the large luxury SUV segment.
- Tesla's New Model Developments: Tesla is reportedly developing a new, smaller electric SUV expected to be cheaper than the current Model 3, which has shifted market attention towards lower-cost EVs and may increase competitive pressure on Nio in this segment.
See More
Tesla Q1 Sales Surpass All Competitors Combined
- Market Share Leadership: Tesla sold 117,300 vehicles in the U.S. in Q1, capturing 54.2% of the market share, significantly outpacing competitors' combined deliveries of 99,099 units; despite an 8.4% decline in sales from last year, its market share expanded due to a 27% drop in overall EV sales, showcasing Tesla's robust competitive position.
- Model Y Dominance: The Model Y delivered 78,591 units in Q1, accounting for over one-third of all EV sales in the U.S., further solidifying Tesla's market leadership and reflecting strong consumer preference for the model, which enhances Tesla's brand influence.
- Short-term Stock Price Recovery: TSLA stock rose 1% on Monday to $352.42, marking its third consecutive day of gains, indicating a positive market reaction to the sales data; despite skepticism from competitors, investor confidence remains strong amid market fluctuations.
- Retail Sentiment Turns Bullish: According to Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Tesla shifted from neutral to bullish with a significant increase in message volume, as investors express optimism about a potential recovery to $500, reflecting growing confidence in Tesla's future performance.
See More
Nio's Deliveries Surge Amid ES9 Launch
- Surge in Deliveries: Nio's first-quarter deliveries for 2026 reached 83,465 vehicles, marking a year-on-year increase of over 98%, indicating strong market demand and brand recognition, which is expected to further drive revenue growth.
- March Delivery Performance: In March 2026, Nio's deliveries exceeded 35,486 vehicles, reflecting a 136% year-on-year growth, which highlights the company's increasing competitiveness in the electric vehicle market and supports future market expansion.
- New Model Launch: Nio unveiled its next-generation SUV, the ES9, in China with a starting price of 528,000 yuan ($77,330) and a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) model, which is expected to boost sales and solidify its market position.
- Optimistic Sales Outlook: CEO William Li expressed confidence in achieving an annual sales growth target of 40% to 50% for 2026, a positive outlook that is likely to enhance investor confidence and potentially drive the stock price higher.
See More
Nio Unveils ES9 SUV with Deliveries Starting in June
- New Model Launch: Nio unveiled the ES9 SUV on April 9, priced from 528,000 yuan, with customer deliveries set to begin on June 1, marking a significant step in the company's high-end electric vehicle strategy.
- Strong Market Performance: Nio's stock rose 7% following the ES9 launch and has gained over 3% in the past two weeks, reflecting investor optimism and confidence in the new model's market potential.
- Impressive Delivery Data: In Q1 2025, Nio delivered 83,465 vehicles, nearly doubling last year's figures and exceeding the upper limit of its delivery guidance, indicating that the success of the ES8 has driven overall sales growth.
- Optimistic Analyst Ratings: According to Koyfin, 16 out of 25 analysts rate Nio as 'Buy' or higher, with a 12-month price target of $6.65, suggesting a potential upside of 2% despite the stock's significant rally in recent months.
See More
Lucid's Delivery Drop and Recalls Impact Stock
- Delivery Decline: Lucid delivered 3,093 vehicles in Q1 2024, down from 3,109 in the same quarter of 2025, primarily due to a supplier quality issue disrupting Gravity SUV deliveries, highlighting challenges in production and supply chain management.
- Frequent Recalls: The company recently recalled 3,627 units of its 2024-2026 Air sedans due to improperly secured bolts that could disconnect the half-shaft from the drive unit, increasing crash risk, which not only undermines consumer confidence but may also lead to additional repair costs.
- Stock Hits All-Time Low: Lucid's shares closed at $8.58 on Friday, marking an all-time low after opening at $8.81 and peaking at $9.01, reflecting significant market pessimism regarding its future prospects due to weak delivery and production issues.
- Weak Market Reaction: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around LCID stock remained in the 'bearish' territory, with message volume increasing from 'normal' to 'high', indicating investor concerns about Lucid's performance, contrasting sharply with the rising stock prices of competitors like Nio and XPeng.
See More
NIO Inc. Files 2025 Annual Report with SEC
- Annual Report Submission: NIO Inc. filed its 2025 annual report with the SEC on April 10, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to transparency and compliance, which is expected to bolster investor confidence.
- Financial Transparency: The annual report will include audited consolidated financial statements, and NIO promises to provide hard copies free of charge to shareholders and ADS holders, demonstrating the company's dedication to shareholder rights and transparency.
- Brand Positioning: As a pioneer in the global smart electric vehicle market, NIO aims to shape a sustainable future through innovative technology and exceptional experiences, further solidifying its leadership in the premium electric vehicle sector.
- Multi-Brand Strategy: NIO not only offers high-end smart electric vehicles but also expands into family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand and small high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand, showcasing its diversified product strategy to meet varying consumer demands.
See More
Nio ES9 Officially Launched, Pricing Sparks Market Attention
- ES9 Pricing Strategy: The Nio ES9 starts at 528,000 yuan ($77,230), which is 31% lower than the ET9 sedan despite sharing much of the same technology stack; however, this pricing strategy has not met market expectations, leading to a more than 5% drop in stock price.
- Intensifying Market Competition: The ES9 enters a highly competitive segment of China's premium EV market, facing direct competition from new models like the XPeng GX and Zeekr 9X, while also contending with strong demand for hybrid rivals such as the Aito M9 and Li Auto L9, which offer better long-distance usability.
- Investor Confidence Wanes: Although the ES9 is considered Nio's most important product this year, investor skepticism about whether its pricing can replicate the success of the ES8 has led to a decline in stock price, particularly in the context of historically weaker demand for pure electric vehicles in the large luxury SUV segment.
- Tesla's New Model Developments: Tesla is reportedly developing a new, smaller electric SUV expected to be cheaper than the current Model 3, which has shifted market attention towards lower-cost EVs and may increase competitive pressure on Nio in this segment.
See More
