July 30, 2026 – NIO executive Shen Fei has reiterated his confidence in the future of the pure-electric SUV market, arguing that the industry’s momentum over the past year has confirmed an earlier prediction that battery-electric three-row SUVs are entering a new phase of growth.
Speaking as the first anniversary of the Onvo L90 approaches, Shen—who serves as NIO’s Senior Vice President and President of the Onvo brand—reflected on comments made by NIO founder William Li when the vehicle debuted. At the time, Li suggested that the peak era for extended-range three-row SUVs was drawing to a close and that fully electric alternatives would become the next mainstream choice. The statement initially faced skepticism from many observers across the automotive industry.
According to Shen, developments over the past 12 months have largely supported that forecast. He said the market has shifted decisively toward battery-electric large family SUVs, with consumer demand increasingly favoring all-electric models over range-extended offerings.
To reinforce his view, Shen pointed to the Onvo L90’s commercial performance. Since its launch, the model has surpassed 60,000 cumulative deliveries, which he described as a milestone marking a turning point for the pure-electric three-row SUV segment.
He also claimed that, following the L90’s market introduction, sales of battery-electric three-row SUVs have exceeded those of comparable extended-range rivals for ten consecutive months. Looking at the broader new-energy vehicle market, Shen added that the overall sales volume of pure-electric vehicles is now roughly eight times larger than that of extended-range models, underscoring what he believes is a clear long-term direction for the industry.
