What is the relationship between NIO and JAC?
3 Answers
NIO and JAC have a cooperative relationship, which can be understood as JAC being the contract manufacturer for NIO, responsible for producing NIO's electric vehicle products. Introduction to NIO: NIO is a global smart electric vehicle brand, established in November 2014. Its main products include the NIO ES6, NIO ES8, NIO EC6, NIO EVE, and NIO EP9. NIO is committed to creating a joyful lifestyle for users by providing high-performance smart electric vehicles and an exceptional user experience. Brand introduction of NIO: NIO is a globally positioned startup brand that has established R&D, design, production, and business operations in 13 locations, including San Jose, Munich, London, and Hefei. It has gathered thousands of top-tier talents in the automotive, software, and user experience industries and has initially built a nationwide user service system in the Chinese market.
Speaking of the relationship between NIO and JAC, as an automotive enthusiast who often researches these matters, it can be simply put that NIO, as a new energy brand, doesn’t have its own factories and relies on JAC Motors to produce its vehicles. Since their collaboration began in 2016, JAC has been assembling electric vehicles for NIO in Hefei, Anhui, where popular models like the ES8 and ES6 are manufactured. This cooperative model is quite common in China—NIO saves on factory construction costs and can focus on developing new technologies, while JAC upgrades its production lines and enters the high-end market. Many reports indicate that the two companies work well together, with strict quality control and shared expertise in EV platforms. However, some critics point out that JAC’s background as a traditional automaker might dilute NIO’s tech-savvy image, but overall, it’s a win-win. I believe this partnership has advanced China’s new energy industry, allowing consumers to drive eco-friendly cars sooner. If NIO had to build its own factories, we might have had to wait several more years.
As a NIO owner, I deeply relate to this. When I first bought the car, knowing it was manufactured by JAC, I had some reservations, worrying that EVs made by traditional automakers might not match the quality of new brands. But the actual driving experience has been great—solid build quality with no major issues. According to the salesperson, NIO designs the models and then hands them over to JAC's factory for production and quality control, with both teams communicating daily to optimize processes. JAC's expertise helped NIO resolve supply chain challenges, like battery installation. After two years of ownership, I’ve also found repairs straightforward with reasonable parts costs, likely thanks to JAC’s mature supply chain. This collaboration is quite smart—it lets NIO scale production without building factories from scratch, keeping prices more affordable. If a friend asked about buying an EV, I’d recommend considering such contract manufacturing—it’s efficient and cost-effective.
