Source: NIO

NIO (NYSE:NIO) said on December 18, 2025 that cumulative deliveries of the all-new ES8 electric SUV exceeded 30,000 units, achieved 89 days after customer deliveries began, setting a speed record in China for battery-electric vehicles priced above 400,000 CNY.

The milestone vehicle was delivered at the NIO House in Chengdu Tianfu Art Park. Deliveries had reached 20,000 units on November 29, meaning the automaker added the final 10,000 units in 19 days, the fastest pace recorded in its segment.

Source: NIO

The ES8 is positioned as NIO’s flagship large SUV and plays a central role in the company’s premium product strategy. The model entered the market on September 20, 2025, as one of the first mass-produced SUVs built on NIO’s NT3.0 platform, which underpins the brand’s latest generation of hardware, software, and electrical architecture.

Pricing places the ES8 at the upper end of China’s domestic EV market. The vehicle is sold in three variants, with a purchase price ranging from 406,800 CNY to 446,800 CNY, equivalent to approximately $57,800–$63,500. Under NIO’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) subscription model, the upfront price drops to 298,800–338,800 CNY (about $42,400–$48,100), excluding the battery lease.

Source: NIO

Dimensionally, the ES8 qualifies as a full-size SUV. It measures 5,280 mm in length, 2,010 mm in width, and 1,800 mm in height, with a 3,130 mm wheelbase, and is offered in six-seat and seven-seat configurations. Compared with the previous ES8, length increases by 181 mm and wheelbase by 60 mm, bringing it closer to rivals such as the AITO M9 and Li Auto L9.

Powertrain specifications reflect the vehicle’s flagship status. The ES8 uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, producing a combined 520 kW and 700 Nm of torque, enabling 0–100 km/h acceleration in 3.97 seconds. Top speed is rated at 220 km/h (137 mph).

Energy storage comes from a 102 kWh ternary lithium battery, delivering a CLTC-rated range of 635 km, or approximately 395 miles, with an energy consumption figure of 16.6 kWh per 100 km. The vehicle is built on NIO’s 900V high-voltage architecture, supporting peak charging power of 600 kW. Under optimal conditions, five minutes of charging can add more than 250 km (155 miles) of range. The ES8 also supports battery swapping, with a full swap completed in about three minutes.

Driver assistance hardware includes three LiDAR units, a 4D millimeter-wave imaging radar, and a total of 31 sensors, powered by two in-house 5-nanometer driver-assistance chips under NIO’s Aquila sensing system. The system supports highway and urban navigation assistance, automated parking, emergency braking, and emergency steering.

Inside, the ES8 adopts a horizontal cockpit layout shared with the ET9, featuring a 48-inch Skyline display, a 15.4–15.6 inch central touchscreen, and a 38-inch augmented reality head-up display. The cabin includes three zero-gravity seats, a 21.4-inch rear entertainment screen, a 27-speaker audio system, and an 8.8-liter hot-and-cold refrigerator.

The ES8 competes directly with large premium SUVs including the AITO M9, Li Auto L9, Denza N9, and Lynk & Co 900, as Chinese automakers continue to push further upmarket in the battery-electric segment.

Whether the ES8’s delivery pace can be sustained as competition tightens will offer an early read on the ceiling for premium-priced electric SUVs in China.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 7.042 CNY as of December 2025