Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Nio began deliveries of its flagship ET9 sedan on Friday, marking the start of shipments for its most expensive and technologically advanced model to date.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer William Li personally handed over the first unit to Paul Fang, chairman of Chinese appliance giant Midea Group, according to a video shared on social media.
In a post on the social media platform Weibo earlier in the day, Li said he was departing from Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport to meet frontline sales teams and deliver the first ET9. “Take a guess where I’m going!” he wrote.
The four-seat ET9 starts at 660,000 yuan ($90,870) in China under Nio’s battery subscription plan, which allows customers to lease the battery separately. The price rises to 788,000 yuan ($108,500) with the battery included.
Buyers who place a deposit by April 30 will receive extended benefits, including 10 years of free battery swapping — up from the previously announced five years — capped at six swaps per month. Nio is also offering a decade of complimentary access to its NOP+ driver-assistance system.
Launched at its annual event in December, the ET9 sold out its 999-unit First Edition — priced at 818,000 yuan ($112,600) — within 12 hours. Nio later introduced a Signature Edition starting at 808,000 yuan ($110,900).
The sedan features what Nio calls its most advanced suite of technologies to date, including an integrated hydraulic fully active suspension, steer-by-wire system, a next-generation digital cockpit, and a high-end audio setup.
“As an epitome of Nio’s 10-year innovation and the full-stack R&D capabilities in 12 areas, the Nio ET9 boasts 1,081 patents filed and obtained,” the carmaker said amid the launch last December.
As of the time of writing, Nio shares are trading 2% lower on Friday’s pre-market session after having dropped 5.70% on Thursday. The stock price fall followed the announcement of about $518 million equity raise via share placement.
