Nio warned customers on Friday about fraudulent schemes related to its upcoming ES9 flagship SUV, as the company prepares for the launch event planned for April 10.
Ma Lin, Nio‘s assistant VP of brand and communications, said scammers have been charging customers 200 yuan ($29) per person to join groups claiming to offer early access to ES9 information and expedited deliveries.
“We’ve received feedback from car owners that someone is adding owners to groups and charging 200 yuan [$29] per person, claiming they can guarantee first access to ES9 information and saying they’ve already test driven it and can help owners get their cars earlier,” Ma Lin wrote on Weibo.
“None of this is true. Please do not trust such information online. Protect your personal privacy and guard against fraud,” the executive added.
ES8 Milestone
In a separate post Friday, Ma Lin said Nio is approaching a delivery milestone for its best-selling ES8 SUV.
“The 60,000th unit is coming soon,” Ma Lin wrote in reaction to a blogger’s post. “Let’s make it challenging — everyone guess which day and which city. The first three correct guesses in the comments today will receive 10,000 [Nio] points.”
The model was launched in September and quickly became the Group’s best selling one after securing more than 100,000 firm orders in the first few days.
ES9 Launch
The warning comes days after Nio principal chief engineer Danilo Teobaldi announced the company had concluded winter testing of the ES9, its largest and most expensive SUV.
Nio is targeting April 10 for the ES9 launch event, a few weeks before the Beijing Auto Show opens, co-founder and President Lihong Qin said earlier this month.
Deliveries are expected to begin later in the second quarter following the April debut.
Pricing and Margins
Morgan Stanley analyst Tim Hsiao said the company expects the ES9’s average selling price to exceed 500,000 yuan ($71,900).
However, pricing will only be announced in the launch event.
“Management said the ES9 would be key to higher margins, potentially exceeding Rmb100k profit per unit, given its high ASP above Rmb500k, which would enable it to compete against models like BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, and Aito M9,” the analyst wrote after meeting with Li.
The comments mark the first pricing indication for the upcoming model, which will become Nio‘s largest and most expensive SUV.
The ES9 will feature a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing a combined 520 kilowatts (697 horsepower), with 180 kW at the front axle and 340 kW at the rear. Top speed is rated at 220 kilometres per hour.
