Nio is beginning nationwide shipments of its third-generation ES8 SUV to showrooms across China, with customer deliveries scheduled to start on early September 21 — less than 24 hours after the model’s official launch.
Morgan Stanley estimated late last month that pre-orders for the ES8 may have topped 30,000 units a few days after the pre-launch event took place.
Founder and CEO William Li said in a post on X that the Hefei factory is “ramping up shipments” ahead of the official launch at brand’s annual event set for Hangzhou on September 20.
“The deliveries will kick off upon launch at Nio Day 2025, September 20th. Let’s Jiadian!” Li wrote.
The premium EV maker first unveiled the six- and seven-seat model on August 21 with a pre-sale price starting at 416,800 yuan ($58,530), including the battery.
Customers have been able to finalize configurations early as part of Nio’s push to speed up initial handovers and reduce supply bottlenecks.
“At present, the all-new ES8 has already begun nationwide shipments, providing assurance for deliveries upon launch,” Nio wrote on Weibo.
“Among the vehicles being shipped, perhaps your all-new ES8 is also included. Let us look forward together and jointly create a new chapter,” the company added.
The Executive Premium Edition is priced from 416,800 yuan, or 308,800 yuan with the company’s Battery-as-a-Service subscription.
The Executive Signature Edition starts at 456,800 yuan, or 348,800 yuan under the Battery as a Service plan.
Built on Nio’s 900V high-voltage platform, the ES8 comes with a standard 102 kWh battery.
Its dual-motor setup generates 520 kW and 700 Nm of torque, enabling 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.97 seconds.
Nio is seeking to replicate the fast ramp of its Onvo L90 sub-brand SUV, which delivered more than 10,000 units in its debut month.
William Li, founder of Nio, called on Saturday for stronger action against what he described on a CCTV program as organized online attacks harming China’s auto industry.
He said both the ES8 and the Onvo L90 have been targeted.
Nio’s legal department has been suing multiple online accounts on Chinese social media for defamation and “black PR” attacks.
