- The ES8 drove Nio Inc’s continued profitability in the first quarter, with its single-month deliveries in May expected to top 10,000 units again.
- Nio will officially launch its higher-priced new flagship SUV model, the ES9, on May 27.
(Image credit: Nio)
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) has reached a new sales milestone for its ES8 SUV (sport utility vehicle), just days ahead of the upcoming launch of the ES9.
The Chinese EV maker delivered the 110,000th third-generation ES8 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on May 23, exactly one month after the model reached its 100,000th delivery mark.
The owner of the 110,000th third-generation ES8, Mr. Cao, was previously a user of a traditional internal combustion engine luxury mid to large-size sedan.
He said that his switch to the ES8 was driven not only by its design but also by his high recognition of the vehicle’s safety quality and the chargeable, swappable energy service system, according to Nio.
This shift toward EVs highlights a structural market evolution trend in consumer preferences. Sales of pure electric large three-row SUVs have surpassed those of extended-range models for eight consecutive months in China since taking the lead in September 2025, Nio said.
Pure electric large three-row SUVs, represented by the all-new ES8, have entered a golden era, the company added.
The commercial success of the updated ES8 has also been a key factor driving Nio Inc’s recent financial turnaround.
The high-margin model, with a starting price of 406,800 yuan ($59,840), helped the company maintain its profitability trend in the first quarter.
Nio achieved an adjusted operating profit of 66.8 million yuan ($9.7 million) in the first quarter, marking its second consecutive quarter of profitability.
In the first quarter, the ES8 contributed 45,185 new vehicles to the company’s total deliveries. This accounted for a massive 54.14% share of Nio Inc’s overall delivery volume during the same period.
A more favorable product mix driven by the ES8 significantly pushed up the vehicle margin to 18.8% in the first quarter.
This strong sales momentum continued into April, when 13,028 units were delivered, contributing 44.38% of the company’s total deliveries for the month.
The latest delivery milestone implies that single-month deliveries of the third-generation ES8 in May are expected to continue exceeding 10,000 units.
To counter industry headwinds in the second quarter, Nio is relying on intensive new product launches to boost overall sales. The company will officially launch and begin delivering its higher-priced new flagship SUV model, the Nio ES9, on May 27.
The ES9 began pre-sales on April 9 with a starting price of 528,000 yuan. The official launch price is expected to be slightly lower.
In addition, the sub-brand Onvo has just started nationwide deliveries of the L80 large five-seater SUV. Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li expects these strategic models to drive a steady rebound in sales in May and June.
With the launch of these new models, the company is concentrating its resources to ensure the continuation of its sales momentum. Nio previously guided its total deliveries for the second quarter to be between 110,000 and 115,000 vehicles.
This means that Nio expects its combined deliveries in May and June to range between 80,644 and 85,644 vehicles.
In the first quarter, the average selling price for the Nio brand exceeded 390,000 yuan, which is 50,000 yuan higher than BMW’s.
($1 = 6.7981 yuan)
