Does NIO Belong to JAC Motors?

[KendraFitz]

No, NIO and JAC have a strategic partnership, and JAC also serves as a contract manufacturer for NIO. JAC as NIO's Contract Manufacturer: In fact, NIO has always adopted the contract manufacturing model with JAC Motors, meaning it uses JAC's production qualifications. This approach saves both labor costs and expenses related to factory construction and operations. This is also the reason why NIO vehicles bear the JAC Motors logo at the rear. Regulations on Contract Manufacturing: In December 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) officially recognized the contract manufacturing model at the policy level for the first time in the "Administrative Measures for the Access of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products."

[LeHarley]

I remember when I bought the NIO ES6 a few years ago, I curiously asked the salesperson if NIO was under JAC. The salesperson explained that NIO is an independent electric vehicle brand, much like Tesla, focusing on design and technological innovation, while JAC is merely their manufacturing partner responsible for assembling the vehicles on the production line. From a corporate structure perspective, NIO is a separate publicly traded company headquartered in Shanghai, operated by founders like William Li, with JAC only contracted for manufacturing. This cooperation model is quite common, similar to how Dell outsources computer production to factories, saving costs for both parties. NIO's battery swap system and software are all self-developed, with no direct connection to JAC. After purchasing the car, I found the experience excellent with its avant-garde design, but during maintenance, I noticed the factory label had JAC's name, which is a minor misunderstanding brought by the OEM arrangement.

[McBryce]

As someone who has long followed the automotive industry, I clearly understand the relationship between NIO and JAC: NIO is not owned by JAC, but an independent enterprise. Simply put, NIO focuses on R&D and marketing, while JAC assists in vehicle production. This kind of contract manufacturing is quite common in the auto industry—for instance, Magna also manufactures vehicles for Mercedes-Benz. NIO chose JAC primarily because JAC has mature factories in Anhui, enabling rapid mass production, and secondly because NIO had limited funds in its early stages, making outsourcing production more cost-effective. From a technical perspective, NIO's battery swap stations and AI systems are its own patents, while JAC is only responsible for the assembly process. I recall at an owner discussion once, someone mistakenly thought NIO was a sub-brand of JAC, and I promptly corrected them—after all, NIO is positioned as a premium EV brand, with prices higher than JAC's own models. Understanding these details makes choosing a new energy vehicle much wiser.

[McChristian]

I think this is a common question because you can see JAC logos on NIO cars on the road, but in fact, NIO is an independent company. They signed a contract in 2016 where JAC is responsible for manufacturing several NIO models, but the brand, R&D, and sales are all controlled by NIO. This model is called ODM, which is widely used in many industries. NIO focuses on innovation while JAC provides manufacturing capabilities, allowing each to play to their strengths. With fierce competition in the new energy vehicle sector, this collaboration helps NIO reduce costs, and car owners also benefit.