Nio said on Sunday that it delivered the 50,000th unit of its third-generation ES8 SUV, reaching the milestone 19 days after crossing the 40,000 mark.
The Shanghai-headquartered EV maker delivered 7,529 units in the first eighteen days of January based on cumulative delivery data, an average of 418 vehicles per day.
In the second half of December, Nio delivered an average of about 909 units of its best selling model per day.
“Thrilled to share that the All-New ES8 reaches 50,000 deliveries today, achieved in just 120 days!” the company’s founder and CEO William Li wrote on X.
On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Li noted that the ES8 ranked first in insurance registrations across 46 cities in the large SUV segment during December.
The ES8 accounted for 46.3% of Nio Group’s total December deliveries.
“It can be said that the all-new ES8 has become the latest trend in the large three-row SUV segment in the Chinese auto market,” he said.
Delivery Ramp-Up
The ES8 has seen a steep monthly acceleration since deliveries began on September 21, a day after the official launch in Hangzhou.
Nio delivered 2,803 units in September, rising to 6,703 in October and 10,689 in November.
December saw a dramatic surge to 22,276 units, with January at approximately 7,529 units through the first 18 days of the month.
The model recorded 22,258 retail sales in China that month, making it the best-selling large SUV in the Chinese market by single-month sales, Nio announced earlier this month.
The ES8 also topped December sales for large three-row SUVs and all vehicles priced above 400,000 yuan, equivalent to $57,400.
Monthly Delivery Pace
Delivery data across milestones shows a clear acceleration through late December followed by a pullback in January.
Nio averaged 286 units per day in the 70 days to reach 20,000 deliveries on November 29, then ramped to 526 per day over the following 19 days to hit 30,000 on December 17.
The pace peaked at 909 units per day in the 11-day stretch ending December 29, when the company crossed 40,000 cumulative deliveries — reflecting a monthly run rate of approximately 27,300 units.
That momentum has since eased.
Nio delivered 10,000 units in the 20 days between December 29 and January 18, translating to 500 vehicles per day and a monthly pace of roughly 15,000 units.
The slowdown follows the typical year-end push, when automakers typically accelerate deliveries to meet annual targets.
Wait Times Shrinking
Nio has shortened the estimated delivery waiting time for the ES8 four times since the redesigned model launched in late September.
On January 13, the company cut the wait to 15-16 weeks from 17-18 weeks — just five days after the previous reduction.
The timeline remained at 15-16 weeks as of Sunday, meaning customers placing orders now can expect delivery in early May.
Production Exceeds Target
Nio‘s third factory, where the ES8 is produced, manufactured 43,668 units of the third-generation model in 2025, exceeding the company’s production target by nearly 3,700 vehicles.
The ES8 six-seat Executive Signature Edition is priced at 446,800 yuan ($64,100), while the Executive Luxury Edition starts at 406,800 yuan ($58,300). A seven-seat Executive Luxury Edition is also available at the same starting price.
