Chinese maker of electric cars NioIn May, the company delivered over 7000 vehicles, an increase in production of 4.7% compared to a year earlier, however, it is still well below its current production capability, due to Covid-related interruptions that continue to restrict its manufacturing capabilities and ability to ship vehicles to its customers.

Nio released a statement saying that it was gradually recovering in manufacturing from pandemic disruptions in May but that delivery of vehicles was still limited by restrictions and other measures to prevent the spread of Covid variants to certain parts of China.

It stated that Nio was working with suppliers to increase production for June. The Covid-related restrictions that have been lifted by Nio are expected to reduce, which will lead to an increase in deliveries.

The company stated that new orders are strong but didn’t give specific figures.

Not all emerging Chinese electric vehicle producers were affected by Nio’s May disaster. Rival XpengAccording to the company, it was able, in May 2018, to ship 10,125 vehicles, an increase of 78% compared with a year ago. It resumed two-shift manufacturing at its factory in late-May.

XPeng is based in southern China, near the city of Guangzhou — an area that has fared better amid the recent Covid outbreaks than the region around Hefei, where Nio is based, several hundred miles north.

A rival is Li AutoThe company said that it was able deliver approximately 11,500 vehicles to customers in May, an increase of over 160% compared to a year earlier, in spite of pandemic-related disruptions to suppliers in Yangtze River to its west. Li Auto’s headquarters is in Changzhou on China’s east coast, close to Shanghai.