Beijing show: Nio’s big flex

Nio will put its Nio, Onvo, and Firefly brands in one booth for the first time at the Beijing auto show, with 11 vehicles on display. (cnevpost.com) The company said it will hold a media briefing from 10:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. Beijing time on April 24 at booth E203 in Hall E2 at the China International Exhibition Center in Shunyi. Nio said it will show 12 “full-stack technologies” alongside the vehicles. (cnevpost.com) For the main Nio brand, the headline model is the ES9 sport utility vehicle, which the company said will make its public debut in Beijing. Nio also said it will launch a Mystic Black special edition of the third-generation ES8 and display the Nebula Red version that was already on sale. (cnevpost.com) Onvo, Nio’s family-focused brand, will show the 2026 L90, which Nio launched on April 21. Firefly, Nio’s small-car brand, will display an updated version of its only model, the 2026 Firefly EV, which Nio launched on April 7 with peak motor power raised to 120 kilowatts at the same price. (cnevpost.com) Nio is using the booth to show how far its multi-brand plan has moved from concept to showroom. The company now sells premium vehicles under Nio, family-oriented vehicles under Onvo, and small high-end cars under Firefly, according to its investor relations site. (ir.nio.com) The company’s scale has also changed. Nio delivered 83,465 vehicles in the first quarter of 2026, up 98.3% from a year earlier, and cumulative deliveries reached 1,081,057 by March 31, 2026, the company said. (ir.nio.com) Its fourth-quarter 2025 results showed why the brand spread matters financially: Nio delivered 124,807 vehicles in the quarter, including 67,433 under Nio, 38,290 under Onvo, and 19,084 under Firefly. Vehicle margin rose to 18.1% from 13.1% a year earlier, and the company posted operating profit of 807.3 million yuan after an operating loss in the 2024 quarter. (nasdaq.com) The Beijing show is large enough to make that message hard to miss. Organizers said Auto China 2026 runs from April 24 to May 3 across two venues, with 1,451 vehicles, 181 premieres, and a record 380,000 square meters of exhibition space. (beijingautoshow.com, cnevpost.com) Chinese brands are filling that space with software-heavy pitches as well as sheet metal. Nio said the updated Onvo L90 uses its Shenji NX9031 autonomous-driving chip and its World Model driver-assistance system, and show organizers said more than 200 press conferences are scheduled during the event. (cnevpost.com, cnevpost.com) Nio’s booth placement underlines the competitive set it wants buyers to see. In Hall E2, Nio shares the floor with Xpeng and Huawei-backed Aito, while BYD brands fill neighboring halls and Mercedes-Benz also has space at the Shunyi venue. (cnevpost.com, cnevpost.com) When the doors open on April 24, Nio will not be selling a single flagship model or a single badge. It will be selling the idea that one company can cover China’s premium, family, and small-car electric market from one stand. (cnevpost.com, ir.nio.com)