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 rise
7 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 5.090
Low
4.00
Averages
5.90
High
7.00
Current: 5.090
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.
- Record Deliveries: In Q4 2025, Nio delivered 124,807 vehicles, marking a 71.7% year-over-year increase and setting a new quarterly delivery record, indicating robust market demand and brand recognition.
- Optimistic Profit Outlook: Nio anticipates an adjusted operating profit ranging from RMB 700 million to RMB 1.2 billion for Q4, reflecting positive outcomes from sales growth, vehicle margin optimization, and cost control efforts, marking the company's first quarterly profit expectation.
- ES8 Model Success: The new ES8 reached 70,000 deliveries in Zhejiang province, leading large SUV sales with a 40% market share in eight cities in January, further solidifying Nio's position in the premium EV market.
- Future Product Strategy: Nio plans to launch the third-generation entry-level SUV ES6 in Q3 2027, expected to be the most popular model in the new lineup, demonstrating the company's confidence and strategic positioning for future market opportunities.
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- New Model Launch: Nio is set to introduce its third-generation entry-level SUV in Q3 2027, with the revamped ES6 expected to be a core model, although current demand for some models has weakened, as evidenced by ES6 deliveries dropping to 982 units last month, marking the lowest result in over a year.
- Flagship Model Performance: In contrast, the flagship ES8 continues to show strong delivery performance, nearing its 70,000th unit delivered, making it a key contributor to the company's overall deliveries and profitability, indicating sustained market demand for premium SUVs.
- Strategic Partnership: Nio has formed a strategic partnership with Germany's Bosch Group, focusing on smart EV technologies such as battery management systems and autonomous driving perception modules, aimed at enhancing its technological competitiveness in the EV market.
- Market Sentiment Analysis: Despite a 2% decline in Nio's stock price during Hong Kong trading, retail sentiment on the social media platform Stocktwits remains 'bullish', reflecting confidence in the company's future performance among investors.
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- Investment Boosts Confidence: Nio's subsidiary GeniTech has secured an aggregate investment of ¥2.257 billion ($329.765 million) from various investors, which is likely to enhance market confidence in Nio and drive the expansion of its intelligent-driving chip business.
- Maintained Control: Nio retains a controlling equity interest of 62.7% in GeniTech, and this investment will enhance its technological capabilities, further solidifying its competitive position in the smart electric vehicle market.
- Ongoing Market Pressure: Despite Nio's shares rising 0.77% to $5.23 in premarket trading on Thursday, its main competitor XPeng Inc. slid due to waning subsidies and price war pressures, highlighting the challenges faced by the industry as a whole.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Nio is set to report earnings on March 10, 2026, with EPS estimates improving from a loss of 43 cents to a loss of 7 cents, and revenue expectations rising from $2.70 billion to $4.61 billion, reflecting optimistic market sentiment regarding its future growth.
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- Stock Volatility: XPeng's shares fell 3.85% to $17.48 during premarket trading on Thursday, highlighting ongoing investor concerns despite the groundbreaking of a humanoid robot facility in Guangzhou, driven by fading subsidies and an intensifying price war.
- Robot Factory Development: The company plans to build a 1.18 million square foot humanoid robot factory in Guangzhou, aiming for large-scale production of its IRON robot by the end of 2026, with a target of over 1 million units by the decade's end for applications in tour guiding and retail services.
- Delivery and Market Performance: XPeng's delivery momentum has softened, with shares trading 1.3% below their 20-day simple moving average and 15.1% below the 100-day average, indicating a downward intermediate trend, while the stock has declined 17.33% over the past year.
- Market Environment Impact: Broader tech weakness contributed to the decline, as the Hang Seng TECH Index fell 2.87%, exacerbating XPeng's stock pressure and reflecting the conflict between short-term industry challenges and long-term technological ambitions.
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- Capital Injection: NIO's subsidiary Shenji has secured a cash investment of RMB 2.257 billion from Chinese investors, who will purchase newly issued shares, which is expected to enhance the company's financial strength and market competitiveness.
- Ownership Structure: After the deal closes, NIO will retain a 62.7% controlling stake in Shenji, ensuring the consolidation of its financial results and further solidifying its market position in the intelligent driving chip sector.
- Investor Composition: The new investors will hold 27.3% of Shenji's shares, while entities managing the share incentive plan will own the remaining 10%, which will help attract and retain talent, driving technological innovation.
- Market Reaction: NIO's stock jumped as the company forecasts its first quarterly adjusted profit from operations, reflecting market confidence in its future profitability and increasing investor interest in both NIO and its subsidiary.
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- Investment Overview: NIO has entered into agreements with its subsidiary Shenji to secure an investment of RMB 2.257 billion from Chinese investors, aimed at strengthening the funding for its intelligent driving chip business, thereby enhancing technological innovation and market competitiveness.
- Equity Structure Changes: Upon completion of the investment, NIO will maintain a controlling interest of 62.7% in Shenji, while the Shenji investors will collectively hold 27.3% of the equity, which will help optimize resource allocation and enhance corporate governance.
- Ongoing Financial Consolidation: NIO will continue to consolidate Shenji's financial results, ensuring its leadership position in the smart electric vehicle market, while accelerating the development and market promotion of new technologies through the influx of capital.
- Future Growth Potential: This investment not only provides NIO with ample financial support but also further propels its strategic positioning in the intelligent driving sector, aiding the company's sustained growth in the global electric vehicle market.
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