Nio founder and chief executive William Li said on Tuesday that the company’s newly launched Onvo L90 SUV had ranked among the top three best-selling large-size SUVs in China within only the first three days on the market.
The statement, posted on Weibo, came as new vehicle registration data showed the Onvo L90 recorded retail sales of 1,980 units in the July 28–August 3 period, trailing only the Aito M8 and M9 models, which sold 5,307 and 2,304 units respectively.
“A quick update: three days after launch and initial deliveries, the Onvo L90 has already entered the weekly top 3 in large SUV sales and continues to accelerate production and delivery,” Li wrote.
The CEO added later in the post that the factory in Hefei is “running at full capacity with overtime shifts” to make sure customers can take delivery of their car as quickly as possible.
Late last year, the brand faced a considerable number of order cancellations for its debut model, Onvo’s previous chief revealed in an early 2025 interview.
Li’s comments followed a disclosure on Sunday by Nio’s regional Xiaohongshu account in Jinan, which stated that over 20,000 Onvo L90 units had been prepared for the first round of confirmed orders — the first time the company has revealed an approximate figure for initial availability.
Last week, before the launch event, Li said a delivery target of more than 7,000 units in the first month “seems achievable.”
As of Tuesday, estimated waiting times for all three trims of the L90 remained unchanged at four to six weeks, with deliveries of the seven-seat version expected to begin in late September.
Deliveries began across China less than 24 hours after the launch event took place in Hangzhou. According to Nio’s Beijing user club, all L90 display models were locked for purchase within three hours of the configurator opening.
Nio initially deployed around 600 test drive vehicles before the launch and has since increased the fleet to 1,000 units across more than 400 locations.
The L90 starts at 265,800 yuan ($36,940) for the version equipped with an 85-kWh battery. Under Nio’s battery-as-a-service (BaaS) model, which lowers the upfront cost to 179,800 yuan ($24,980), buyers pay a monthly battery rental fee of 899 yuan ($125).
Below is the full message shared by William Li.
“A quick update: three days after launch and initial deliveries, the Onvo L90 has already entered the weekly top 3 in large SUV sales and continues to accelerate production and delivery.
The Hefei plant is running at full capacity with overtime shifts to build up inventory and ensure customers receive their vehicles as quickly as possible.
Behind the strong production, high sales, and rapid deliveries are ten years of Nio’s experience in leading pure electric technology, a well-developed charging and battery swap infrastructure, and a transparent, all-in pricing strategy.
On launch night, the number of nationwide test drive vehicles was increased from 600 to 1,000 to better meet demand. Customers are encouraged to visit stores, test more, compare more, and place more orders.
Production and deliveries will continue to ramp up”
