Source: Finance Association
On the day before the release of its 2023 three-quarter report, NIO Auto ushered in its own unique “identity code” — the “Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products” catalogue announcement, number 214.
On December 4, the company name is “Weilai Automobile Technology (Anhui) Co., Ltd.”, the legal representative is “Qin Lihong”, and the registered address is “Building F, Hengchuang Intelligent Technology Park, No. 3963, Susong Road, Hefei Economic and Technological Development Zone, Anhui Province”, and the production address is “No. 299 Baita Road, Hefei Economic and Technological Development Zone, Anhui Province” appeared in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's government service platform vehicle manufacturer credit information management system. Based on this, the industry speculates that NIO Auto has obtained an independent production license.
“No relevant information has been released at this time.” Although NIO's side did not respond positively to the industry's speculations, an industry insider close to the industry authority revealed to the Financial Association Reporter that they have heard that NIO has obtained a license for independent vehicle production.
A series of “abnormal” actions by NIO executives on the same day also confirmed the veracity of this information from the side. On December 4, after the above information from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was disclosed, some industry media posted an article on social platforms about “Getting Rid of 'Made in Jianghuai' and Obtaining Independent Production Qualifications”, which drew praise from NIO executives; on another social platform, many NIO executives, including Shen Fei and Huang Xin, also stated, “Today, we will witness history and Weibo will be temporarily suspended.”
According to public information, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's platform vehicle manufacturer credit information management system is a credit database for automobile manufacturers and a blacklist of enterprises that have violated laws and regulations established by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in accordance with the State Council's requirements to deepen the reform of the administrative examination and approval system and speed up the establishment of an enterprise credit information system. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will blacklist and discredit enterprises that violate laws and regulations, such as production consistency that does not meet requirements, do not send certification information according to regulations, falsely issue certificates, and resell certificates of conformity, etc., will be blacklisted, punished according to law, and publicized to the public.
This not only means that NIO has been incorporated into the above management system as an independent vehicle manufacturing legal entity, and is more clearly marked “214” in the “Catalogue Number” column; however, this serial number corresponds to the only identity in the “Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products” catalogue announcement.
According to the current industrial policy, the competent department of the industry implements an entry system for vehicle manufacturers. Each vehicle manufacturer that enters the “Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products” catalogue announcement has a corresponding catalogue number. For example, the catalog number corresponding to China FAW Group is “1,” and the corresponding catalog number for Tesla (Shanghai) is “194.”
The news that NIO will apply for an independent production license has been circulating in the industry for a long time. On October 19 of this year, JAC announced that the company plans to transfer some of its assets through a public listing. The proposed listing price for the passenger car company's three plants is 4,498 billion yuan, involving inventory, fixed assets, projects under construction, housing, buildings and land use rights, and the passenger car company's Shinbashi plant structure and equipment assets. NIO responded at the time, saying, “The company has learned the relevant information about the partner and confirmed that this action will not affect the company's future production and operation activities. The company will communicate with you on the relevant matter at the appropriate time and will not comment on this matter until then.”
After JAC issued the announcement, the Anhui Property Exchange Center also released asset transfer information entitled “Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. Passenger Vehicle Company Xinqiao Plant Structure and Equipment Transfer” and “Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. Passenger Vehicle Company Three Factory Housing Buildings, Projects Under Construction and Land Use Rights Transfer” respectively. The transfer reserve prices were 1,492 billion yuan and 1,418 billion yuan respectively. The date of disclosure of the information was November 7, 2023. The end date is December 4, 2023.
The aforementioned address information disclosed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's vehicle manufacturer credit information management system, and the “Xinqiao Plant” in the asset transfer information is the location of NIO's second most advanced manufacturing base, the NIO F2 Plant; while the “Passenger Vehicle Plant III” is the NIO F1 plant.
The industry generally believes that after NIO acquires the JAC passenger car manufacturing plant and obtains independent production qualifications, it is more conducive to controlling its production system. According to the plan, NIO Auto will release financial results for the third quarter of 2023 tomorrow.
Editor/Jeffrey