NIO’s ONVO L80 Sees Over 90% of Early Buyers Choose BaaS Scheme

On May 25, ONVO, the sub-brand under NIO, released the first user profile data for the L80.

The most closely watched figure showed that more than 90% of buyers chose the BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) battery leasing scheme when purchasing the vehicle.

The ONVO L80 officially launched on May 15 with three variants — Pro, Max+, and Ultra+.

The vehicle starts at RMB 242,800 ($35,720) with battery purchase included, while the BaaS option lowers the starting price to RMB 156,800 ($23,070).

For many consumers, the primary appeal of the “vehicle-battery separation” model remains the significantly lower upfront purchase cost.

In addition to reducing the vehicle price by RMB 86,000 ($12,650), the BaaS scheme also lowers vehicle purchase tax by RMB 3,805 ($560).

Particularly in China’s new energy SUV market above RMB 200,000 ($29,420), more consumers are beginning to factor monthly payment pressure, replacement cycles and battery residual values into purchasing decisions.

From a trim-selection perspective, buyers showed a clear preference for mid-to-high-end variants. Among the three versions, 62% of users selected the Max+ trim.

Compared with the entry-level Pro version, the Max+ and Ultra+ mainly add LiDAR, NIO’s in-house Shenji NX9031 autonomous-driving chip, and rear entertainment displays.

In terms of exterior colors, 58% of buyers selected Still Mountain Black, while 17% chose Peak Green. For interiors, more than 70% selected Banyan Brown.

More than half of buyers also opted for the 21-inch black sport wheels.

In addition, the “Step-by-Step Rising” powered side step became the most popular optional feature, with an adoption rate exceeding 70%.

The L80 is also one of NIO’s key SUV growth models for the second quarter of this year.

Last week, NIO released its first-quarter financial results, reporting operating profit of RMB 66.8 million ($9.82 million), marking its second consecutive profitable quarter.

During a subsequent media briefing, NIO CEO William Li said the company’s future product strategy will prioritize SUVs, citing higher profit margins and stronger alignment with current new energy vehicle market demand.

According to NIO’s second-quarter delivery guidance, the company plans to deliver between 110,000 and 115,000 vehicles during the quarter, nearly 30,000 units higher than the first quarter.

Li stated that the L80 is expected to become one of the company’s largest incremental sales contributors.

In addition, stable growth from the ES8, refreshed L60, as well as future volume expansion from the ES9 and L90, will collectively support the company’s next phase of sales growth.