Electric vehicle maker Nio has shortened the estimated delivery time for its best-selling ES8 sport utility vehicle to 20-21 weeks, according to the company’s official website for the Chinese market.
The reduction marks the second one since the model was launched in late September.
The updated timeline represents a reduction from the 22-23 week range displayed until earlier this Tuesday.
A day after orders opened, the waiting time for new buyers was at 24-26 weeks — equivalent to up to half a year.
As the waiting times reduce further, it remains unclear how much of the shortened wait time stems from production improvements versus order cancellations.
The first option appears to be the case as Nio said earlier this Tuesday that it delivered 10,677 ES8 units in November.
The 59.3% surge from October’s 6,703 deliveries indicates that deliveries increased by 59.3% sequentially.
Pricing and Configuration Details
The ES8 six-seat Executive Signature Edition is priced at 446,800 yuan ($63,200), while the Executive Luxury Edition begins at 406,800 yuan ($57,500).
A seven-seat Executive Luxury Edition is also available at the same 406,800 yuan starting price.
All versions display the message “Estimated delivery 20-21 weeks after configuration lock,” suggesting orders placed today would arrive between mid-April and late April 2026, approximately four to five months from now.
Record Delivery Pace
The model reached its 20,000th delivery last weekend, just 70 days after initial customer handovers began across more than 40 Chinese cities, representing the fastest time to reach 20,000 units for pure electric vehicles priced above 400,000 yuan ($56,600), according to Nio.
“The golden era of pure electric large three-row SUVs has arrived,” Nio said in Tuesday’s post announcing the November delivery figures.
In comparison, November 2024 saw just 572 ES8 deliveries, representing 2.8% of Nio‘s total deliveries that period before the third-generation redesign launched this year.
Production Targets
Marketing Vice-President Kang Kai said last week that December production could reach 20,000 units, which would make the ES8 the fastest-produced vehicle in Nio’s history and exceed the company’s earlier target of 15,000 units for the month.
Chief Executive William Li said at the model’s September 20 unveiling that Nio aimed to deliver 40,000 ES8 units between September 21 and the year end.
Analyst Expectations
Deutsche Bank analyst Bin Wang wrote in a research note released Tuesday that the ES8 is positioned to meet Nio’s annual target of 40,000 units, with fourth-quarter deliveries projected at 33,000 vehicles.
Wang said that Nio will likely achieve its goal of reporting non-GAAP profit in the fourth quarter, citing the high-margin ES8 as a key contributor to improved financial performance.
Managing Strong Demand
The third-generation ES8, launched September 20 at Nio’s annual event in Hangzhou, sold out its 2025 production capacity of 40,000 units within minutes of Li announcing final pricing.
To manage the backlog and prevent order cancellations, Nio implemented several measures including a “peace-of-mind” subsidy program that shields buyers from potential purchase tax increases in 2026 if production delays push deliveries into next year.
The subsidy can be applied directly against the vehicle price, with a cap of 15,000 yuan ($2,100).
Additionally, Nio offered a 400-yuan ($56) charging subsidy for buyers taking delivery before year-end, announced under the “Exclusive Charging Care Plan for New ES8 Users” on the company’s mobile app.
The EV maker said in late September it would temporarily prioritize 100-kWh battery packs to accelerate ES8 deliveries, a move expected to strain its battery-swap network in the short term.
The third-generation ES8 features a substantially lower starting price compared with its predecessor, along with a longer wheelbase and significantly upgraded technology features.
