When it comes to electric vehicles, NIO is one of the leading Chinese brands in the sector. Even at that, the market is entirely a new one and so the company cannot be said to be in the league of Tesla or even Apple, ranked as one of the world’s most valuable companies. Turns out the Chinese EV manufacturer is looking at taking on Apple in the smartphone segment. A recent disclosure by NIO’s CEO William Li indicates that the company is working towards making an entrance into the smartphone market.
Li had recently affirmed that the brand’s foray into the smartphone market is still steaming at the research phase but the CEO has confirmed that producing its own smartphones is definitely on the radar. The plan is hinged on a lofty aspiration which is to become one of Apple’s rivals in the future. While some may be a tall order, we should remind our readers that Apple is also planning to enter the EV market. Thus, we may likely see Apple becoming a force to reckon with the electric vehicles market before NIO will be able to make any meaningful headway.
However, the Chinese EV manufacturer which opened shop in 2014 has been blazing the trail as one of the foremost EV brands with models such as the ES8, ES6, and EC6 electric SUVs. Therefore, the brand may have something special up its sleeves.
Apart from its SUV lineup, NIO also has a couple of electric sedans including the ET7 released recently and the ET5 which is still in the works. The brand’s EVs are equipped with stellar features that have made it the toast of buyers in China and even in some parts of Europe such as Norway and Germany.
The brand’s CEO is reported to have stated that the drive to enter the smartphone market was due to yearnings by NIO customers for a phone that connects better with cars. One question that would readily come to mind is why the company didn’t make its software integrate seamlessly with Android and iOS phones. NIO’s CEO answered this recently when he disclosed that the brand’s latest EVs come with ultra-wideband (UWB) technology but Apple does not offer an open interface. With such a scenario, it would be difficult to design features for NIO EV owners who use Apple phones.
This move is also aimed at mitigating the shockwave that could result from Apple announcing its own electric car in the near future. Because the company can utilize its closed-source UWB to provide integrated features between its phones and cars, that could give it a bigger edge that could help it win some market shares off already existing brands like NIO.
In a sort of reverse order, Chinese phone manufacturer, Xiaomi is looking to enter the EV market in 2024 and has already commenced the construction of a car manufacturing plant capable of rolling out 300,000 EVs annually. Foxconn and Baidu are also among the Chinese companies attempting to enter the EV market.
RELATED:
- Apple supplier Foxconn resumes production in China, as lockdown gets partially lifted
- iPhone 13 production in India likely to start at Foxconn plant from April
- India’s Vedanta and Foxconn team up to manufacture semiconductors in India
- Apple moves order from Foxconn to Luxshare over $275 billion deal with China: Report
- Apple supplier Foxconn mulls building a new factory in Saudi Arabia: Report
(via)
