News articles

"How redefining the user experience can transform business models and even change an entire industry" - Key Learning of the Expert Talk with Hui Zhang from NIO Europe

Success story of a pioneer in China’s premium smart electric vehicle market

[Translate to English:] Expert Talk NIO-User Enterprise

On June 15, 2021 the Virtual Expert Talk “NIO-User Enterprise” with Hui Zhang, Vice President NIO Europe took place. NIO was founded in 2014 as a Start-Up company in Shanghai that designs, develops, and produces smart, high-performance, premium electric vehicles. NIO is a company not only sell the car but also user experience to provide customer the life style throughout design, service and cutting-edge technology. NIO consists of three type of companies, car company producing and selling cars, a technology company developing in house technologies and a life style company sharing joy with users. NIO has established R&D centers and manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Nanjing, San Jose, Munich, Oxford and other places, and built up an initial user service system with nationwide coverage in China.

Mrs. Catherina Purrucker, Head of Management School of the TU Wien Academy for Continuing Education welcome Mr. Zhang and guests and introduced the effort to provide high quality postgraduates education programs. Prof. Wilfried Sihn, Academic Director of the MBA Automotive Industry also welcome Mr. Zhang and guests and introduced Mr. Zhang who worked at renown European manufacturers and studied in his hometown Pforzheim in Germany.

In his talk Mr. Hui Zhang started with current challenges in the car industry, such as productivity loss though traffic jams, air pollution, casualties through car accidents, and user experience such as maintenance of the car. From these reasons the company NIO tried to redefine how the user experience can transform business models and even change an entire industry. To make a business concept NIO made analysis to understand what kind of experience (emotional and functional experience) NIO has to bring society as well as user. To give their users the highest satisfaction NIO made investigation in terms of the car, service, digital touchpoint and the beyond the car before the development of a car. He introduced the NIO ecosystem consisting of five components. First component is the car which is smart and elective. On June 28, 2018 NIO officially began deliveries of the ES8 (Electric SUV). By May 31st, 2021, NIO has delivered 109,514 units of three mass-production models. The second is the independent NIO Power for examples the Battery Swap Station and the mobile charging vehicle. NIO Service provides the outstanding after sales service, such as Battery as a Service. Instead of purchase of battery the customer can lease it. NIO offers space and possibilities to share the customers experience and grow their community. For this NIO App plays an important role which ws downloaded more than 1,5 million times.

It was a great opportunity to know NIO’s vision and mission and its insights into NIO’s special eco system. Most importantly, Hui Zhang talked in detail about how all the different components and facets of NIO created an enterprise with a dedicated user focus – the so called User Enterprise.

The TU Wien Academy for Continuing Education expresses sincere thanks Mr. Zhang for his great talk.

MBA Automotive Industry
Since 2009 TU Wien has been offering a MBA Program  for Automotive and supply industry. With our 10 years experience with  MBA Program we upgraded the MBA program and changed it in a new format  – MBA Automotive Industry , opens an external URL in a new window- to meet the current challenges and requirements of the automotive industry. 
In the beginning of June 2021 the program started. The next program starts on October 14, 2021.

Key Facts

  • Final Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management & Technology | Automotive Industry
  • ECTS credits: 90
  • Duration: 3 semesters + Master's Thesis
  • Structure: Part-time, blocked in modules
  • Language: English
  • Tuition Fee: EUR 27.400 (excl. expenses for travel and accommodation)
  • *) Graduates of the TU Wien receive a discount of 5 % (TU Wien alumni club members 10 %) on the course fee.
  • Admission Requirements: First academic degree; 3 years of work experience; personal interview
  • Locations: TU Wien, surrounding area of Vienna; module in the Stuttgart Region (Germany)
  • Academic Director: Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing.Dipl.Wirtsch.-Ing.Prof.eh.Dr.h.c. Wilfried Sihn