Chinese EV maker Nio launches second-generation smartphone to boost its appeal

Name: SCMP
Telephone: +852-2680-8888

The Nio Phone has enhanced technological capabilities, allowing owners to have a better car-driving experience, co-founder and CEO William Li says

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

The new Nio Phone was launched at the carmaker’s Nio In 2024 Tech Day event on Saturday, at a starting price of 6,499 yuan. Photo: Nio

Daniel Renin Shanghai

Published: 11:57am, 28 Jul 2024

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio has launched its second-generation smartphone fitted with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot tool, reinforcing its capabilities as a leader in innovation.

The new Nio Phone, starting at 6,499 yuan (US$896), has enhanced technological capabilities, allowing owners of the company’s intelligent vehicles to have a better car-driving experience, according to William Li, co-founder and CEO of the Shanghai-based carmaker.

“We hope our new products and technologies will help consumers better understand Nio,” he told reporters during the Nio In 2024 Tech Day event on Saturday. “Nio envisions building itself into a developer of smart technologies.”

Nio, founded in 2014, launched the world’s first phone as a companion device for its vehicles last September. It can initiate self-parking mode, unlock the car with a button press even if the smartphone is powered off, and transition a video call from the phone to the car’s screen and speakers.

Chinese EV maker Nio’s showroom in Hefei, eastern Anhui province. Photo: Reuters

The second-generation phone comes with Nomi GPT, an AI-powered voice assistant, offering users improved voice-activated control experience. It also allows owners to connect the phone with cameras installed in the car for live video streaming.