On April 22, 2025, Nio released its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report, sharing its achievements in the management and practices of sustainable development from the following aspects: efficient governance, environmental protection, premium products, responsible value chain, employee growth, and collaboration for sustainable social value creation.
“Blue Sky Coming” is the original aspiration of Nio. With the mission of “Shaping a Sustainable and Brighter Future Together,” Nio is dedicated to collaborating with all stakeholders to tackle climate change by developing sustainable smart EV products, as it deeply understands the vital role the EV industry plays in reducing carbon emissions and responding to climate change, as well as the opportunities it holds amid the economic and social transition toward a low-carbon future.
In 2024, Nio, as a proud member of the Green Car Park of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP29), provided premium green mobility services for dignitaries and VIPs from different countries. In addition, during COP 29, Nio was invited to attend the “Green and Low-Carbon Development of China’s Automobiles” forum to share its ESG strategies and practices. Nio also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Green Car, a leading green technology enterprise in Azerbaijan, marking its official entry into the Azerbaijan market.
Nio is committed to providing users with sustainable low-carbon products by using sustainable materials and applying sustainable design. It actively practices and explores the circular economy, continuously improving the recoverability and recyclability of vehicle materials, while trying to realize closed-loop car-to-car recycling. During the reporting period, Nio achieved an average recoverability rate of 98.8% and an average recyclability rate of 91.4% for vehicles sold.
In terms of green operations, during the reporting period, Nio’s manufacturing sites consumed a total of 97,013.15 MWh of renewable electricity, accounting for 56.6% of the total energy consumption, which was a 74.5% increase compared to 2023. At the inaugural “Super Automotive Factory Award” selection event organized by China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd. in 2024, Nio Factory Two (F2) was recognized as a “Super Automotive Factory” and also received the “Best Digital Application Award.” Meanwhile, Nio actively engages in energy and carbon management as well as emissions management. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing process, Nio has implemented energy-saving renovation and promoted the use of renewable energy. Measures are also taken to minimize the waste gas emissions and discharge of wastewater and other waste to create an environmentally friendly production base. During the reporting period, F2 was recognized as the “2024 Green Factory” by Anhui Province.
Nio also endeavors to protect ecosystems. By the end of the reporting period, Nio’s Clean Parks initiative had partnered with 17 ecological cooperation sites, including the Three-River-Source National Park, Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, and Giant Panda National Park. The program also launched a partnership with the Danish Society for Nature Conservation to support clean patrols in four nature reserves in Denmark. Clean Parks has been recognized by users, governments, media and industry organizations. During the reporting period, it was honored with the Annual Award for PR Excellence by the Conference of China Public Relations for Development.
Build premium products and responsible supply chain for a joyful, holistic experience
Driven by the vision to “Build a User Enterprise Where Innovative Technology Meets Experience Excellence,” Nio is committed to developing premium and safe products through technological innovation and stringent quality management, while delivering services that consistently exceed user expectations.
In 2024, Nio’s cumulative R&D investment exceeded RMB 13 billion. Based on the three core business pillars, namely smart electric vehicles, user enterprise, and global operations, the Company focuses on 12 key technological domains accordingly. Insisting on in-house research and development of core technologies, it has established “Nio Full Stack,” a comprehensive framework encompassing world-leading technological advancements.
In terms of smart driving, in April 2024, Nio released the Navigate on Pilot Plus (NOP+) function for vehicles on the NT2 platform. Available in 726 cities across China, NOP+ became the first smart driving system in China with a cumulative mileage surpassing 1.5 billion kilometers by the end of 2024. During the reporting period, Nio also released the industry’s first Automatic Emergency Steering (AES) capable of responding to pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, and multi-vehicle collisions. Operating within a speed range of 60-150 km/h, AES had the industry’s broadest speed coverage by the end of the reporting period. This feature enables active risk avoidance at medium to high speeds.
In June 2024, Nio was selected as one of China’s first national pilot enterprises for intelligent connected vehicle access and road testing, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent mass production and application of advanced smart driving products. As Nio expands globally, its assisted and intelligent driving business has gradually expanded from the European market to the UAE, Azerbaijan and Israel, where mass production of the function has been realized to serve more users worldwide.
Nio is the industry’s first car company to apply AI large models to AEB. Actual data shows that after the upgrade, the system can avoid over 100,000 potential risks on average each month, resulting in a year-on-year reduction of total accidents by over 10%. Additionally, serious injuries involving vulnerable road users have decreased by 55%.
During the reporting period, certified by four insurance companies—People’s Insurance Company of China, Ping An Insurance Company of China, China Pacific Insurance Company, and Swiss Re, Nio Smart Safety demonstrated a 25.2% reduction in safety-related accident costs. Nio Smart Safety has thus become the industry’s first insurer-certified active safety solution that substantially enhances safety while reducing accident-related losses.
As the world’s first carmaker to implement Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates on vehicles at a large scale using proprietary technology, Nio can remotely upgrade vehicle systems such as power, handling, driving, and driving assistance, thereby continuously improving the vehicle functionality and delivering a joyful user experience where the vehicle is always up to date. During the reporting period, Nio released 23 FOTA updates globally across its four smart systems of Aspen, Alder, Banyan, and Coconut, introducing 482 new features and 250 optimizations.
On March 27, 2024, Nio celebrated the production of its 1,000,000th EDS, the Thunder 900V EDS. Meanwhile, Nio’s 900V High Voltage Architecture System was recognized and endorsed by the 2024 Science and Technology Innovation Plan of Anhui Province. The highly integrated next-generation high-performance intelligent EDS of Nio EC6 was awarded the “World Top 10 Electric Drive Systems” in 2024. During the reporting period, Nio developed a total of 249 patents regarding battery systems and was granted 234 patents. Meanwhile, through innovative material design, we effectively increase the lifespan of the battery system by 20%.
Nio is committed to developing the All-Time Quality (ATQ) system that puts users’ interests first, carrying out a series of strategic and systematic quality management activities for quality control in all domains across the product’s full lifecycle. By the end of the reporting period, 12 subsidiaries of the Company had obtained quality management system certification of ISO 9001 or IATF 16949, accounting for 92% of Nio’s manufacturing and R&D sites.
By the end of the reporting period, Nio held a total of 9,815 granted and pending patents across China, Europe, the United States, and other jurisdictions, including 5,693 granted patents and 4,122 pending applications. Furthermore, Nio owned 6,296 registered trademarks, and had 1,371 applications.
Build a sustainable supply chain, continuously improving its resilience and sustainability compliance
Nio is committed to building an advanced and sustainable supply chain that meets global market standards, with a focus on low carbon and circularity to continuously enhance supply chain resilience and sustainability compliance.
During the report period, Nio’s partner supply assurance mechanism covered more than 60 partners, effectively enhancing supply chain resilience. Nio has conducted sustainability evaluations of over 140 parts, covering 54% tire-1 key partners. Nio awarded the Nio Partner Blue Sky Award to 16 partners for their outstanding contributions to sustainability.
Nio has established a supply chain due diligence mechanism and risk identification model to manage risks associated with sustainable development in its supply chain. In 2024, we conducted due diligence on critical minerals for the first time, covering 138 partners. In the same year, the quality empowerment training for partners of mass-produced model parts reached a 100% coverage rate, and more than 250 Nio Partner Quality System (NPQS) audits were carried out for partners.
Improve employees’ job satisfaction and workplace well-being
Nio creates a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace with honesty and care, offering opportunities to talent around the world. Leveraging Nio’s distinctive value-driven system, we work to develop a holistic training and promotion system with a forward-looking vision to support employee growth. At the same time, we take proactive steps to implement occupational health and safety management, showing genuine care for employees’ daily work and life, and continuously enhancing their job satisfaction and workplace well-being.
Nio values diversity and has a global talent pool, with employees from 24 countries and regions worldwide.
In terms of employer branding, Nio received a total of 10 awards and honors related to talent acquisition during the reporting period, including accolades for best employer and most attractive employer to undergraduates. At the same time, the Company conducted 79 leadership training sessions, covering 3,098 participants; 238 professional skill training sessions, reaching 23,791 participants; 103 general skills courses, engaging 3,936 participants; and 333 value-based training sessions, involving 14,082 participants. Nio also hosted over 28 employee events, encompassing a diverse range of themes such as traditional festivals, sports events, and family activities.
Nio continued to conduct employee satisfaction survey in the past year. The 2024 survey came with 19 questions across eight major dimensions and was translated into eight languages, reaching all Nio’s full-time employees and interns globally. A total of 32,256 responses were received, with the overall satisfaction rating on par with that in 2023.
Collaborate for sustainable social value creation
Nio believes that a sustainable and better future requires participation of all sectors. Through continuous technological innovation, diverse user community ecosystems, and specialized charitable programs, Nio collaborates with stakeholders—including governments, industry partners, users, and the general public—to contribute to sustainability and generate social value.
By the end of the reporting period, Nio had organized four rounds of research collaboration with universities worldwide, receiving applications from over 200 scholars from top universities and research institutions. In partnership with academic institutions, Nio has submitted a total of 44 patent applications and published 46 academic papers. Nio has also been approved to implement 12 government technology projects from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Department of Science and Technology of Anhui Province, Development and Reform Commission of Anhui Province, and Department of Education of Anhui Province. The projects span multiple areas including artificial intelligence, vehicle engineering, electrification, and smart manufacturing.
In 2024, the Nio community entered a phase of rapid growth. By the end of the reporting period, there were a total of 2,253 active user clubs nationwide, encompassing over 660,000 Nio users with a user coverage rate of 59.4%. Every week, over 750 community events were held, with participant numbers exceeding 10,000. More than 43,000 users had engaged in core activities organized by the Nio Users Trust Foundation, benefiting over 68,000 families. Over 350 charitable activities were initiated by Nio’s public welfare groups, with a total of 11,269 participants contributing 31,734 hours of volunteer work.
2024 marks Nio’s tenth anniversary, a significant milestone for the Company. Since its inception, Nio has delivered a series of achievements. At the same time, it faces numerous challenges. In a market environment full of uncertainties, Nio remains committed to its original aspiration, focusing on actions and centering around user interests. Through continuous technological innovation, Nio aims to create diverse value in products, technologies, services, and communities, ultimately achieving commercial success.
SOURCE: Nio
