Nio’s founder and CEO William Li announced on Tuesday that the company’s new flagship SUV will be unveiled on April 9 — a day ahead of its initial schedule.
The new launch date comes a week after the company’s co-founder and President Qin Lihong stated that the event would take place on April 10, reiterating a timeline he had previously mentioned.
During a livestream on Tuesday, Li confirmed the official date, saying, “We have officially scheduled it: the ES9 product technology launch event is set for April 9.”
According to the executive, the upcoming full-size, three-row SUV will be “the most important product of the year” for Nio.
“You could say it’s the world’s most technologically advanced SUV, an executive flagship SUV, or a technology-focused executive SUV flagship,” Li stated.
The Shanghai-based EV maker is focusing on large SUVs as demand for its sedans has declined in recent years.
In addition to the all-new ES8 — which launched last year and has driven the brand’s deliveries in recent months — Nio will debut a new version of the five-seat SUV ES7 later this year.
“Upcoming updates for 2026 ET5, ET5T, ES6, EC6, and special editions will also be released,” the executive wrote in a post on the Nio app a few hours after the livestream.
ES9 Launch
The ES9 will take over as Nio’s flagship SUV from the ES8, which has held that position since becoming the brand’s first mass-produced vehicle in May 2018.
The company’s President revealed last week that deliveries of the new SUV would begin on June 1, following a launch event in late May.
The ES9 was first spotted road testing in China last October.
Nio‘s founder and CEO William Li confirmed to local media outlets late last month that the ES9 had completed the tooling trial manufacturing phase and began pre-production.
The first official images of the ES9 were revealed in an MIIT regulatory filing last month, along with the vehicle’s dimensions.
The model is expected to be the largest SUV in China, measuring 5,365 mm in length, 2,029 mm in width, and 1,870 mm in height, with a 3,250 mm wheelbase.
‘5566’ Facelift
In the same event on Tuesday, William Li also revealed that Nio‘s ‘5566’ lineup, which includes the ET5 sedan, the ET5 Touring station wagon and the ES6 and EC6 SUVs, is scheduled for a facelift within the next two months.
According to the executive, the four updated models will feature a blue indicator light for the driver-assistance system, and the SUVs will also offer an optional zero-gravity driver’s seat.
Li did not reveal much further about the new versions.
However, these facelifts do not correspond to the third-generation entry-level series, which is scheduled to launch in 2027.
Last week, Lihong announced that the brand is set to debut the Gen 3 ES6 in the third quarter of 2027, which he expects to be the brand’s “most popular model” under the platform.
The executive said that, both technically and in terms of design, “it will be similar to our overall third-generation lineup,” exemplifying with the already-launched ES8.
Other Updates
Through Tuesday’s post, William Li also outlined the company’s key sales policies for March, including the previously announced 7-year low-interest financing.
The new incentives were announced over the weekend, a few hours after the company reported its February global delivery figures.
For ES8 buyers, Nio is offering a 10,000 yuan ($1,500) purchase tax subsidy and 7-year low-interest financing, along with 5 years of free NOP+ (Navigate on Pilot Plus) usage.
Customers purchasing any of the four entry-level models can take advantage of a 7-year financing plan at 0.49% annual interest, with a minimal down payment and no fees or penalties.
Li also revealed that the company plans to release two “major training updates” to the Nio World Model (NWM) in the second and fourth quarters.
“These will allow significant iteration of NOMI intelligence to version 4.0, introducing reinforcement learning in its core NIM model, improving dialogue and intelligence capabilities,” the executive added.
