Tesla Rival Nio's March Deliveries Jump 136%

Nio Inc. (NYSE:NIO) shares are up during Wednesday’s premarket session as the company reported impressive delivery results for March and the first quarter of 2026. The stock’s rise follows a significant increase in vehicle deliveries, which has contributed to a positive sentiment around the electric vehicle sector, as broader markets also show gains. In March 2026, Nio, a major rival of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), delivered 35,486 vehicles, marking a remarkable 136.0% year-over-year increase. In the first quarter, total deliveries reached 83,465 vehicles, reflecting 98.3% year-over-year growth and showcasing the company’s strong market performance. Cumulative deliveries reached 1,081,057 as of March 31, 2026. The company’s flagship premium SUV, the All-New ES8, achieved its 80,000th delivery within just 181 days, reinforcing its position as a leader in China’s large SUV segment. “Driven by its differentiated product capabilities and sustained user demand, the All-New ES8 continues to strengthen its leadership in the large SUV market,” the company said in a press release. Nio’s Latest Earnings Results In March, the Chinese electric vehicle maker released its fourth-quarter results. The company reported quarterly revenue of 34.65 billion yuan ($4.95 billion), up 75.9% year over year and 59.0% sequentially. The figure exceeded the analyst consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. The earnings improvement reflects stronger vehicle deliveries and improved operational efficiency. Demand for premium electric vehicles in China also supported the company’s revenue momentum. Peer Deliveries Snapshot XPeng Inc.’s (NYSE:XPEV) March deliveries rebounded strongly to 27,415 units, up 80% month-on-month, but remained 17% lower than a year ago. For the first quarter, the company delivered 62,682 vehicles, down 33.3% year-on-year, though still within its stated guidance range. Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) delivered 41,053 vehicles in March, up 12% year-on-year and 55% from February, signaling strong momentum. First-quarter deliveries totaled 95,142 units, rising 2.45% year-on-year but down 12.9% from the previous quarter. Technical Analysis Nio is currently trading 10.5% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 16.9% above its 100-day SMA, indicating a strong upward trend. Over the past 12 months, shares have increased by 55.81% and are currently positioned closer to their 52-week highs than lows. The RSI is at 60.56, which is considered neutral territory, while the MACD shows a value of 0.1732, below its signal line at 0.1871, indicating bearish pressure on the stock. This combination suggests that while the stock has shown strong performance, there may be some caution in the near term. Key Resistance: $8.00 Key Support: $6.00 Earnings & Analyst Outlook Looking further out, the next major catalyst for the stock arrives with the June 2, 2026 (estimated) earnings report. EPS Estimate: Loss of 16 cents (Up from Loss of 41 cents) Revenue Estimate: $3.55 billion (Up from $1.66 billion) Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Hold Rating with an average price target of $7.26. Recent analyst moves include: HSBC: Upgraded to Buy (Raises Target to $6.80) (Mar. 13) Freedom Broker: Upgraded to Buy (Raises Target to $7.00) (Nov. 28, 2025) Freedom Capital Markets: Upgraded to Buy (Raises Target to $7.00) (Nov. 28, 2025) Benzinga Edge Rankings Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for NIO Inc. American depositary shares, each representing one Class A ordinary share, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market: Momentum: Strong (Score: 75.71) — Stock is outperforming the broader market. The Verdict: NIO share’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a momentum-driven story, reflecting strong performance in the electric vehicle market. Top ETF Exposure Invesco Golden Dragon China ETF (NASDAQ:PGJ): 3.67% Weight Significance: Because NIO carries meaningful weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock. NIO Price Action: Nio shares were up 2.49% at $6.18 during premarket trading on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Photo by Robert Way via Shutterstock