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As the car industry awaits an all-electric future, Nio stock will be the biggest winner.
Starting with the obvious, countries and corporations everywhere want to push for lower carbon emissions - some corporations, anyway.
Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and Porsche recently came under fire from the European Union for colluding to avoid adopting technology to meet the EU's new emissions standards. Now that the EU has fined them for a combined $1 billion, they'll come around.
This might seem like just another slap on the wrist for a big corporation. These companies are no stranger to scrutiny for monopolistic behavior. But there's something different here. And that difference could be a major catalyst for Nio stock very soon.
Really, this was the first time these companies were fined for neglecting to compete for a certain technology. And that could set a major precedent for electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide.
Money Morning's Andrew Keene wrote last week on how the tides are shifting for carmakers in a fundamental way.
Regardless of how much EV stocks may have dipped in the last year, they still have their biggest growth ahead of them.
Let's talk about why Nio stock is the cream of the crop right now.
EV Stocks Are Ending Traditional Cars
A Morgan Stanley report gave away why EV stocks could make a big run ahead of traditional carmakers.
An analyst said that the market "may be ascribing zero (or even negative) value for internal combustion engine-derived revenue" at General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F).
That means, if the market invests in companies like Ford or GM, it has nothing to do with their gas-powered legacy. It has to do with their electric-powered future.
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In fact, that stat means gas-powered vehicles could go so out of style that they're perceived as a money-draining rather than moneymaking.
This is what separates Ford and GM from the European companies mentioned above, however. These American automakers have made clear they aren't resisting the change.
Ford has been public with its plans for an electric F-150 and Mustang. And GM has even gone as far as committing to zero gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
The market has seen these corporate efforts and pumped the Ford and GM stocks 66% and 44% respectively in the last year.
That's great news for investors holding these legacy carmakers. But if you're looking to get the most out of this industry, you're more likely to get that from pure EV stocks like Nio.
Here's what Nio offers that legacy carmakers can't.
Why Nio Stock Is a Buy Right Now
Nio is not only one of the biggest EV makers in the world, but it's also a contender to lead self-driving cars down the line.
New EV stocks can be looked at more as technology companies than their legacy counterparts. The whole car is a computer rather than an engine, so the ribbon goes to the company that can make the smartest car under the most innovative business model.
Nio could very well be that.
The company just announced its long-awaited battery-swap service, or Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS). Customers will be able to trade in their empty EV batteries for new ones. This will also make the cars themselves cheaper, sold without batteries.
Nio also wants to ensure 90% of customers live within two miles of a Nio "swap station" by 2025. That will require a lot of work, as that number is currently 30%. But crazier things have happened.
Finally, Nio has done a fair job avoiding the Chinese stock sell-off lately. Despite the Chinese government "cracking down" on Chinese companies trading on the NYSE, the Nio stock price has been more resilient.
Yes, it's down 15% since June 30. But it's recovered from its lowest lows and still hangs above its 50- and 200-day moving average. The stock even went through a death cross - when the 50-day average is below the 200-day - but is even recovering from that.
China's crackdown has been mostly against software platforms, not automakers. The crackdown also wasn't much of a crackdown at all - so far, it's a basic cybersecurity audit.
So, Nio will not be too affected by the government's regulatory moves thus far.
Ultimately, Nio's prospects lie in the fact that China makes up over 44% of the EV market. And EV sales are growing 36% per year.
Now, just imagine how Nio stock could pop when it starts selling EVs outside of China.
All things considered, Nio is one of the best EV stocks to buy in an all-electric future. Grab shares before they jump again.
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About the Author
Mike Stenger, Associate Editor for Money Morning at Money Map Press, graduated from the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University. He has combined his degree in Economics with an interest in emerging technologies by finding where tech and finance overlap. Today, he studies the cybersecurity sector, AI, streaming, and the Cloud.