NIO and ONVO Launch H2 Promotions with Free Battery Swaps to Counter Xiaomi YU7

ONVO kicks off July promotions with triple battery swap vouchers, exclusive gifts, and financial perks. NIO is keeping pace with its own competitive offers, adding fuel to the market rivalry.

July Marks the Start of Intense Promotional War

The first promotional salvo of the second half of the year comes from NIO. On the morning of July 1, the ONVO brand took the lead by launching its July car-buying promotion policy, setting off a wave of competitive offers across the industry.

Compared to previous offerings, the most significant change lies in free battery swaps. Previously, ONVO provided 48 battery swap vouchers (valued at nearly RMB 5,000) for one year with new car purchases. This July promotion triples the offer—144 vouchers, equivalent to three years of free battery swaps.
Additionally, ONVO introduced benefits and gifts, including:

• A 52-liter car refrigerator
• Sunroof insulation film
• Five years of free NOP+ usage
• 3,000 points upon car pickup

Financially, ONVO’s July policy offers zero down payment and three years of interest-free financing. It also introduced exclusive discounts for 2025 graduates and families: orders placed before August 31 receive a luggage box and smart headphones worth RMB 2,500.

NIO’s Main Brand Follows Suit

Soon after, NIO’s main brand also rolled out its promotional policies. According to the latest promotional posters:

• For the newly revamped ET5/ET5T models, NIO introduced new supplementary policies while retaining June’s incentives.
• June’s existing offers included five years of free NOP+ usage, five years of interest-free financing, a RMB 9,500 comfort package, and five years of free battery swaps (240 vouchers).
• The added benefits mainly include 10 flexible upgrade battery swap vouchers, which can be used to offset short-term rental fees for 75-liter 100/150-kWh batteries.

A suspected screenshot from a fellow’s APP conversation indicates that NIO will issue point rebates to owners of the new 5566 models who take delivery before July 10, based on the specific incentives tied to the new July policies. Specifically

• ES8/EC6 owners will receive 80,000 points (equivalent to RMB 8,000).
• ET5/ET5T owners will receive 100,000 points (equivalent to RMB 10,000).

Industry-Wide “Outmaneuvering” of Xiaomi YU7

Of broader impact is the strategy employed by NIO ONVO and several new energy vehicle manufacturers in the past two days to “outmaneuver” Xiaomi YU7. According to media reports from Cailian Press and others, automakers such as NIO, Avatr, and Zeekr have introduced “deposit reimbursement” policies for models including the YU7.

Additionally, 21st Century Business Herald reported that NIO and Avatr will compensate deposit amounts in the form of car price deductions, with NIO ONVO’s dual brands offering full compensation of RMB 5,000, while Firefly offers RMB 2,000.

As we enter the second half of 2025, despite growing calls to counter internal competition and price wars, manufacturers continue to offer various incentives and subsidies to consumers amid fierce market conditions. The tactic of “outmaneuvering” popular models is likely to become a common practice in the near future.