Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio saw two models in its 7-series lineup reach record low sales in the domestic market, even as the company’s main brand showed signs of recovery.
The Nio brand delivered 17,143 vehicles in October, marking a 2.9% year-on-year increase and reversing five consecutive months of year-on-year declines.
The rebound was largely driven by continued production ramp-up of the ES8 SUV, the Group’s best selling model for which it secured over 100,000 orders in less than 72 hours.
The 7-Series Struggle
However, within that total, the 7-series struggled significantly.
Of the 17,143 vehicles delivered in October, the company sold just 72 ET7 sedans and 16 EC7 coupe SUVs, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released Tuesday.
The ET7 sedan’s 72 units represented an 85.1% year-on-year plunge, below the previous low reached in April 2024.
The model was unveiled at Nio‘s annual event in January 2021 as the first model built on its second-generation platform. Deliveries in China began about a year later, in March 2022.
The EC7 coupe SUV’s 16 units marked the lowest on record, representing a 92.0% year-on-year decline.
Neither model has been included in the portfolio upgrades Nio has rolled out this year.
The company announced upgrades to four models in May — the ET5, ET5 Touring, EC6 and ES6 (sold as EL6 in Europe).
The latest iteration of the ET7, introduced in April 2024 with updated interior, driving, and digital cockpit features, has not received any hardware upgrades in 2025.
Similarly, the EC7 remains on the previous-generation platform.
The 7-series, which includes the ES7 and EC7 SUVs alongside the ET7 sedan, is the premium brand’s top series, second only to the 9-series.
The 9-series currently features the ET9 sedan, with the ES9 scheduled for release in the first half of next year.
Steep Discounts
The weak performance comes despite steep discounts introduced earlier this year.
As exclusively reported by EV in July, Nio began offering discounts on both models that could reach 190,000 yuan ($26,700).
Under the promotional offer, the ET7 equipped with the 75kWh battery pack started at 230,000 yuan ($32,300) and the EC7 at 260,000 yuan ($36,500).
The ET7’s promotional price represents a reduction of 190,000 yuan ($26,700), or 45.2%, from its official starting price of 420,000 yuan ($59,000).
Both models include a battery subscription plan for 728 yuan per month, equivalent to $102.
Nio Sales
October marked the third month of 2025 where sales of the Nio brand in China did not fall year-over-year, in a year where the group’s target was to double sales counting its Onvo and Firefly sub-brands.
For the final quarter of the year, the company aims to reach 25,000 monthly deliveries under its core brand and a total of 150,000 units for the three brands of the Group.
When considering the three brands of the Nio Group, monthly deliveries reached a new record in October for the third consecutive month.
The company founded and led by William Li delivered 34,749 EVs in September and 40,397 in October, with November and December expected to bring new records for the company.
As reported on Monday, Nio has reportedly received “about 10,000” orders in the first full week of November.
