At the end of 2022, Nio had 26,763 full-time employees, higher than Li Auto's 19,396 and Xpeng's 15,829.

These user experience employees are responsible for sales, marketing and service, according to Nio's 2022 annual report.

Nio's product and software development employee count was 10,025 at the end of last year, or 37.5 percent of the total workforce.

Its manufacturing function had 2,800 employees at the end of last year, or 10.5 percent.

Nio's general administration employees were 1,955, or 7.3 percent, at the end of last year.

Xpeng's workforce totaled 15,829 at the end of last year, the smallest of the three. Notably, Xpeng has more employees than Li Auto in both 2020 and 2021.

Xpeng has almost the same number of employees in sales and marketing, and research and development, with 6,316 and 6,313 respectively as of the end of last year, both at 39.9 percent of all employees.

Xpeng's manufacturing employees numbered 2,647, or 2.9 percent of all employees. Its general and administration employees numbered 87, or just 0.5 percent of the total.

Li Auto had 19,396 employees at the end of last year, with sales and marketing employees numbering 9,199, or 47.4 percent of all employees.

Li Auto has the fewest R&D employees of the three companies with 4,838 or 24.9 percent of all employees.

Li Auto has the largest production workforce of the three companies with 4,318 employees or 22.3 percent of the total as of the end of 2022.

It has 1,041 general and administrative support employees, or 5.4 percent.

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