Why does NIO car have 'Jianghuai' written on the back?
3 Answers
NIO car brand vehicles are produced by Jianghuai Automobile, which serves as a contract manufacturer. On the vehicle identification plate of NIO cars, the manufacturer is listed as Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. Therefore, the rear tailgate of the vehicle bears the inscription 'Jianghuai NIO'. NIO was established in November 2014. It is a global intelligent electric vehicle brand headquartered in Hefei City, Anhui Province. The brand was founded by Li Bin and initiated by several internet companies, with investments from numerous well-known institutions. Currently, it has been successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has received strategic investment from the Hefei municipal government. Jianghuai Automobile, abbreviated as JAC Group, is the short name for Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. JAC Group was established on September 30, 1999. It is an enterprise that produces a full range of commercial vehicles and passenger cars, and is also involved in the research, development, and sales of powertrains. Its headquarters is located at Dongliu Road, Hefei City, Anhui Province.
I was curious about this before and later found it quite interesting after some research. As a new brand, NIO didn't have production qualifications initially, while JAC had existing factories and experience, so the two formed a deep partnership. The JAC contract manufacturing plant in Hefei is actually fully managed by NIO, with equipment specially customized to NIO's standards, even more advanced than many luxury brand production lines. The JAC badge is mainly due to regulatory requirements, as it uses JAC's production catalog for registration. However, new energy vehicle makers have become smarter now. For example, AITO cars don't carry Xiaokang's logo but 'Seres' on the rear, which looks much more appealing.
Last year when I accompanied my friend to pick up the NIO ET5, I specifically asked the salesperson about this issue. He said it's equivalent to a 'birth certificate'—the country requires that automobiles must indicate the manufacturing enterprise. JAC is like the factory that takes orders for production, while NIO is the design and brand owner. Interestingly, the welding workshop in the factory is fully equipped with German KUKA robots, and workers on the assembly line all wear NIO uniforms. The quality inspection standards are at least three times stricter than those for JAC's own vehicles. The new policy now allows the OEM model, but the matter of the tailgate badge hasn't changed. However, the first thing owners often do after buying the car is to remove those four characters. The best-selling automotive product on Taobao is the NIO-specific adhesive remover.
