On March 30, NIO's official Weibo account "NIO Xiaolaba" issued a statement regarding the online rumors about a malfunction of the accelerator pedal in one of its vehicles. The company stated: "We have taken note of an incident involving a NIO vehicle in Beijing where the accelerator pedal experienced a malfunction. After investigation by our technical team, it was determined that the accelerator pedal's mechanical structure became dislodged due to an upward pulling force, but it did not break." At the same time, NIO also addressed concerns about the use of plastic material for the accelerator pedal, explaining that automotive electronic accelerator pedals commonly use engineering plastic materials. Such materials offer advantages like ease of processing and molding, high design flexibility, and lightweight properties, and they undergo rigorous validation to meet durability, pressure resistance, and vibration resistance requirements. NIO emphasized that the material and design of its accelerator pedals fully comply with national standards and align with mainstream industry practices.

Ultimately, the authorities stated that in normal driving conditions, pressing down on the accelerator pedal would not cause such issues. The accelerator pedal of the user's vehicle that had been removed has already been reinstalled and restored, with no impact on the vehicle's functions. As for the specific reasons for the removal due to external forces, the company is currently communicating with the user to investigate the matter.

On March 29, a NIO ES8 owner from Beijing posted a video on social media claiming that the accelerator pedal of his NIO ES8, which he purchased less than a month ago and had driven for just over 20 days and 1,000 kilometers, had broken. He also pointed out that the broken accelerator pedal was made of plastic.

From the video posted by the car owner, it can be seen that the connection point of the vehicle's accelerator pedal did indeed break. After the official release of the accelerator pedal malfunction statement, the owner did not fully agree with the explanation. They posted another video on social media, stating: "I can understand that the bottom part of the accelerator pedal is made of plastic, but the connection point is thinner than a disposable chopstick. I just installed a floor mat, and it broke. What if it snaps again when I get in or out of the car?" The owner also emphasized that they were not spreading rumors but simply stating the facts and hoped for a solution. They pointed out that their heightened emotion in the video was because "their only solution was to replace it with an identical part, which I find unacceptable. Is that unreasonable?" Finally, the owner reiterated that their demand from the beginning has been to request a refund for the vehicle.

Regarding this incident, many netizens have expressed their opinions. One netizen commented that the accelerator pedal must be easy to break, so that it won't break the driver's ankle in an accident. Another netizen pointed out that the fracture surface of the vehicle is caused by an upward force, and the stress point is on the upper inner ring. If it were a downward force, the fracture surface should be in the opposite direction. It is suggested that the user should directly seek a third-party inspection. At present, both parties have not yet reached a consensus on the solution to this matter. We will continue to follow up on the subsequent solution to this issue.

The data shows that the model involved in this incident is the first mass-produced and marketed model under NIO, which was launched in 2017. The new car is positioned as a luxury mid-size SUV, with an official guide price of 468,000 to 624,000 yuan. The new generation of NIO ES8 was launched in December 2022. Relevant data shows that: NIO ES8's latest February sales were 479 units, with cumulative sales of 925 units for the year so far.

It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time NIO has been exposed to incidents of accelerator pedal breakage. In June of last year, a NIO ES6 owner posted a video claiming that the accelerator pedal of their vehicle had broken, raising questions about the car's quality. At the time, NIO responded to the news by stating that the ES6 with the broken accelerator pedal was a second-hand car purchased by the owner through a third party. They also pointed out that the vehicle had previously been involved in a serious accident and was declared a total loss by the insurance company. NIO further explained that the use of plastic material for the accelerator pedal has been clarified, noting that most floating accelerator pedals in cars today are made of engineering plastic, with design strength meeting industry standards.

Regarding frequent user reports of throttle pedal breakage and concerns about the use of plastic materials, professionals have stated that most modern vehicles are designed with a throttle pedal fracture protection mechanism, which adheres to specific forward and reverse fracture force standards. Under certain stress conditions, the throttle pedal may indeed break. They also pointed out that compared to metal materials, plastic pedals are more flexible and stable, and less prone to deformation over extended use. In emergency situations, plastic pedals are more likely to fail, ensuring that the driver does not press the throttle pedal too firmly, thereby protecting the driver's safety.