NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 04:43 ET — Premarket
- NIO shares were up 1.6% at $5.18 in premarket trading.
- A report said NIO is leaning more on CATL for batteries and has suspended supply cooperation with BYD’s FinDreams for its Onvo L60.
- NIO also marked the 40,000th delivery of its third-generation ES8, according to an industry report.
Shares of NIO Inc were up 1.6% at $5.18 in premarket trading on Monday, following a report that the Chinese electric-vehicle maker is relying more heavily on battery giant CATL.
The stock closed at $5.10 on Friday, up 3.9% on the day.
Battery sourcing matters for EV makers because batteries are one of the biggest cost items and can become a bottleneck when demand shifts quickly. The report also pointed to softer order momentum for one of NIO’s newer models, a key watchpoint for investors heading into year-end.
Industry publication CnEVPost reported on Saturday, citing local media outlet 36Kr, that NIO has halted battery supply cooperation with BYD’s FinDreams Battery for its Onvo sub-brand’s L60 midsize SUV because orders were not enough to sustain multiple suppliers.
The Business Times reported on Monday that CATL will supply 85 kilowatt-hour batteries for the Onvo brand, while CATL will also supply 100 kWh batteries to the NIO brand.
A kilowatt-hour is a measure of battery capacity — in plain terms, higher capacity generally supports longer range, but it can also add cost and weight.
CnEVPost said the shift marks a reversal after NIO had brought in additional suppliers in recent years to reduce dependence on CATL.
Separately, CnEVPost reported on Monday that NIO delivered its 40,000th third-generation ES8, 11 days after crossing 30,000 deliveries for the model. The report said the company announced the milestone on its social media accounts.
Investors have been leaning on delivery data for near-term signals. NIO delivered 36,275 vehicles in November, up 76.3% year-on-year, a regulatory filing showed.
The November tally included 18,393 vehicles under the NIO brand, 11,794 under the company’s family-oriented Onvo brand, and 6,088 under its smaller Firefly brand, the filing showed.
Strategic partnerships and capital ties have also been in focus across China’s EV sector. Rival Leapmotor said it would sell about $810 million of shares to China’s state-owned FAW, and its chief financial officer Li Tengfei said, “a stable equity triangle can better support Leapmotor’s leading position in the future.” Reuters
For NIO, traders will be watching for any company confirmation of the supplier changes outlined in the reports, and for fresh signs of demand for Onvo’s L60 after the report said orders were too light to justify multiple battery suppliers.
The next near-term catalyst is NIO’s December delivery update, typically released around the start of the following month, after the company reported its November figures on Dec. 1.
