At the all-new ES8 launch event on August 22, NIO Inc. founder Li Bin revealed that the most frequently asked question he has received over the past few years has been "Brother Bin, when will there be an MPV?"
"If launching an MPV could make big money, wouldn't I be foolish not to do it? I would just launch one. But sometimes I still prefer to get to the bottom of things, at least I need to satisfy my own conscience. For example, we have three children at home, but we don't have an MPV. I had an MPV many years ago, but later I didn't have one anymore," he said.
Li Bin then explored the origins of MPVs with the audience, noting that China's local innovation was the Buick GL8. The GL8 serves the government vehicle market and reception vehicle market in China, which represents a different market segment.
He mentioned that many things are changing today. During a recent meeting with a government official, the official spontaneously brought up that after seeing the L90 launch, its price of 179,800 yuan is just below the 180,000 yuan standard for government vehicles. The official asked, "Isn't this better than the GL8?" This was something the official initiated.
Li Bin emphasized that if a product definition truly meets demand, then determining what product form best satisfies that need is what they are thinking about. "Actually, in my mind, there's no distinction between MPV and SUV. That doesn't matter. We need to look beyond form factors. If it looks like an MPV, then it's an MPV."