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• E-scooter sales revenues from China market were RMB 740.8 million, an increase of 39.2%, and represented 92.6% of total e-scooter revenues. The increase was mainly driven by retail network expansion and new product launches in China.

• E-scooter sales revenues from international markets were RMB 59.6 million, an increase of 35.2%, and represented 7.4% of total e-scooter revenues. The increase was mainly driven by higher average sales price in the international markets.

• Accessories, spare parts sales and service revenues were RMB 94.1 million, an increase of 20.2% and represented 10.5% of total revenues. The increase was mainly due to higher sales from China market.

• Decreased revenues per e-scooter was mainly driven by sales discount, the sales of new product G0 which has a lower sales price compared with other models, and lower revenue per-scooter from accessories, spare parts and services as a result of slower growth in accessories and spare parts sales from international markets.

Cost of revenues was RMB 707.4 million, an increase of 38.9% year over year, mainly due to higher e-scooter sales volume. The cost per e-scooter, defined as cost of revenues divided by the number of e-scooters sold in a specified period, was RMB 2,819, down 17.3% from RMB 3,408 in the third quarter 2019 mainly due to change in product mix and lower raw materials cost.

Gross margin was 20.9%, compared with 22.2% in the same period of 2019. The decrease was mainly due to sales discount and high sales volume of G0 model with lower gross margin, partially offset by the cost savings on raw materials.

Operating expenses were RMB 107.3 million, an increase of 23.4% from the same period of 2019. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenues was 12.0%, compared with 13.3% in the third quarter of 2019.

• Selling and marketing expenses were RMB 50.8 million (including RMB 2.8 million of share-based compensation), a decrease of 11.0% from RMB 57.1 million in the third quarter of 2019. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in advertising and promotion expense of RMB 9.1 million and the decrease of traveling and conference expense of RMB 0.9 million. The lower expenses were partially offset by the increase of depreciation and amortization expense of RMB 2.2 million which was due to opening of new franchised stores, and by the increase in share-based compensation expenses of RMB 1.5 million. Selling and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues was 5.7% compared with 8.7% in the third quarter of 2019.

• Research and development expenses were RMB 28.9 million (including RMB 3.0 million of share-based compensation), an increase of 69.4% from RMB 17.1 million in the third quarter of 2019, mainly due to the increase in staff cost of RMB 5.8 million, the increase in design expense of RMB 4.0 million due to more new products development, and the increase in share-based compensation expenses of RMB 1.6 million. Research and development expenses as a percentage of revenues was 3.2%, compared with 2.6% in the third quarter of 2019.

• General and administrative expenses were RMB 27.5 million (including RMB 4.6 million of share-based compensation), an increase of 115.8% from RMB 12.8 million in the third quarter of 2019, mainly due to the increase in foreign currency exchange loss of RMB 7.4 million, the increase in taxes and surcharges of RMB 1.9 million, the increase in share-based compensation expenses of RMB 1.3 million, the increase in professional fee of RMB 1.2 million, the increase in rental, depreciation and amortization expense of RMB 1.1 million, and the increase in office and travelling expense of RMB 1.0 million. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues was 3.1%, compared with 1.9% in the third quarter of 2019.
  

Operating expenses excluding share-based compensation were RMB 96.9 million, increased by 19.7% year over year, and represented 10.8% of revenues, compared with 12.4% in the third quarter of 2019.

• Selling and marketing expenses excluding share-based compensation were RMB 48.1 million, a decrease of 13.9% year over year, and represented 5.4% of revenues, compared with 8.5% in the third quarter of 2019.

• Research and development expenses excluding share-based compensation were RMB 25.9 million, an increase of 65.3% year over year, and represented 2.9% of revenues, compared with 2.4% in the third quarter of 2019.

• General and administrative expenses excluding share-based compensation were RMB 22.9 million, an increase of 141.6% year over year, and represented 2.6% of revenues, compared with 1.4% in the third quarter of 2019.
  

Government grants were RMB 1.1 million, decreased by RMB 11.5 million from the same period of 2019.

Share-based compensation was RMB 10.6 million, an increase of RMB 4.5 million from the same period of 2019.
Net income was RMB 80.0 million, compared with RMB 66.4 million in the third quarter of 2019. The net income margin was 8.9%, compared with 10.1% in the same period of 2019.

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was RMB 90.6 million, compared with RMB 72.5 million in the third quarter of 2019. The adjusted net income margin⁴ was 10.1%, compared with 11.1% in the same period of 2019.

Basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB 1.06 (US$ 0.16) and RMB 1.01 (US$ 0.15), respectively.
Balance Sheet
As of September 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits and short-term investments of RMB 1,301.2 million in aggregate. The Company had restricted cash of RMB 176.9 million and short-term bank borrowings of RMB 180.0 million.

Recent Development
In October 2020, NIU sold 31,935 e-scooters, representing a decrease of 6.0% year-over-year. The number of e-scooters sold in the international markets reached 2,275, representing an 83.9% year-over-year growth. The number of e-scooters sold in China market reached 29,660, representing a decrease of 9.4% year-over-year. The decrease was mainly caused by fluctuation of demand in the China market, and also by a 3-day suspension of production and delivery at our factory due to facility and machinery maintenance.

In November 2020, our sales volume for the first 19 days has surpassed the total sales volume for the entire month of November 2019.

Business Outlook
NIU expects revenues of the fourth quarter 2020 to be in the range of RMB 565 million to RMB 615 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 5% to 15%.

The above outlook is based on information available as of the date of this press release and reflects the Company’s current and preliminary expectation, which is subject to change in light of uncertainties and situations related to how COVID-19 develops.

Conference Call

The Company will host an earnings conference call on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (9:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time) to discuss its third quarter 2020 financial and business results and provide a corporate update.

To join via phone, participants need to register in advance of the conference call using the link provided below. Upon registration, participants will receive dial-in numbers, an event passcode, and a unique registrant ID, which will be used to join the conference call.

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations website at https://ir.niu.com/news-and-events/webcasts-and-presentations.

A replay of the conference call can be accessed by phone two hours later at the following numbers until December 1, 2020.

About NIU

As the world’s leading provider of smart urban mobility solutions, NIU designs, manufactures and sells high-performance electric bicycles and motorcycles. NIU has a product portfolio consisting of seven series, four e-scooter series, including NQi, MQi and UQi with smart functions and Gova, two urban commuter electric motorcycles series RQi and TQi, and a performance bicycle series, NIU Aero. Different series of products address the needs of different segments of modern urban residents and resolve the demands of different scenarios of urban travel, while being united through a common design language that emphasizes style, freedom and technology. NIU has adopted an omnichannel retail model, integrating the offline and online channels, to offer the products and services. For more information, please visit www.niu.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement NIU’s consolidated financial results presented in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), NIU uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: adjusted net income and adjusted net income margin. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

NIU believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of its operating results. The Company believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to NIU’s historical performance. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude certain items that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant component in the Company’s results of operations. These non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company’s data.

Adjusted net income is defined as net income excluding share-based compensation expenses. Adjusted net income margin is defined as adjusted net income as a percentage of the revenues.

For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results.”

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the readers. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at the rate of RMB 6.7896 to US$ 1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of September 30, 2020, as set forth in the H.10 Statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or US$ amounts referred could be converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as NIU’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. NIU may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about NIU’s beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NIU’s strategies; NIU’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; NIU’s ability to maintain and enhance its “NIU” brand; its ability to innovate and successfully launch new products and services; its ability to maintain and expand its offline distribution network; its ability to satisfy the mandated safety standards relating to e-scooters; its ability to secure supply of components and raw materials used in e-scooters; its ability to manufacture, launch and sell smart e-scooters meeting customer expectations; its ability to grow collaboration with operation partners; its ability to control costs associated with its operations; general economic and business conditions in China and globally; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NIU’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and NIU does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Niu Technologies
Jason Yang
Investor Relations Manager
E-mail: ir@niu.com

¹ Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) is defined as net income excluding share-based compensation expense.

² Revenues per e-scooter on e-scooter sales from China or international markets is defined as e-scooter sales revenues from China or international markets divided by the number of e-scooters sold in China or international market in a specific period

³ Revenues per e-scooter on accessories, spare parts and services is defined as accessories, spare parts and services revenues divided by the total number of e-scooters sold in a specific period

⁴ Adjusted net income margin is defined as adjusted net income (non-GAAP) as a percentage of the revenues.