Nio will begin production at its third manufacturing facility in Hefei, Anhui province—known as the F3 factory—this September, CEO William Li confirmed during a live-streamed event on July 6. The announcement reinforces earlier comments made by Li during Nio’s June earnings call, where he indicated the facility would be operational in the third quarter.
Speaking to a group of nearly 100 entrepreneurs, including Chinese writer and Nio ET9 owner Wu Xiaobo, Li led a tour of the company’s second Hefei factory and highlighted ongoing progress at the new production site. He also noted that certain production lines at the F3 plant would run on a two-shift schedule, depending on output needs.
The F3 factory is expected to primarily support Onvo, Nio’s mid-range sub-brand, as it prepares to launch its second vehicle, the L90 SUV. Pre-sales for the L90 will open on July 10, and Li emphasized the company’s intention to price the large SUV competitively. “The starting price for the L90 will definitely be under 300,000 yuan — there’s no way else; we all have to go all out now,” Li said during the live broadcast.
The Onvo L90 is a full-size SUV measuring 5,145 mm in length, 1,998 mm in width, and up to 1,786 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,110 mm. It is expected to compete with similarly positioned models such as Li Auto’s L9. First unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show in April, the L90 features extensive storage capacity including an ultra-large front trunk.
The upcoming model also marks the first product launch under Onvo’s new president, Shen Fei, who replaced Alan Ai in April. The current Onvo lineup includes only the L60 SUV, launched under Ai’s leadership. Shen recently shared photos of the L90’s completed production units on Weibo, signaling that deliveries may begin shortly after pre-sales commence.
With three factories in Hefei and multiple sub-brands, Nio is continuing to expand its manufacturing capabilities to support growing domestic demand and an increasingly competitive electric SUV segment in China.
