Source: MIIT

NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO; HKG: 9866) plans to hold a technology launch event for its flagship ES9 SUV around April 10, 2026, ahead of the model’s first public appearance at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition later that month.

The timing aligns the ES9 with Auto China 2026, which will run from April 24 to May 3, 2026, in Beijing. The show is held every two years and is one of the automotive industry’s most closely watched global events. NIO co-founder and president Qin Lihong said during a weekend user engagement event that the April 10 date remains tentative and may still change.

The ES9 is positioned as NIO’s flagship SUV, with its name carrying symbolic weight in China, where the number nine is traditionally reserved for top-tier models. Qin first publicly mentioned the ES9 in May 2025, marking the company’s initial disclosure of the SUV that will sit alongside the ET9 executive sedan at the top of NIO’s lineup.

Source: NIO

Technically, the ES9 is set to adopt NIO’s latest vehicle architecture and systems. The model will feature dual Shenji NX 9031 smart driving chips and the SkyRide chassis system, technologies that are also deployed on the ET9. These systems reflect NIO’s current approach to integrating advanced driver assistance computing with chassis-level control.

NIO founder, chairman, and chief executive officer William Li said on January 6, 2026, that the ES9 has completed the Tooling Trial manufacturing phase and is preparing to enter Pre-Production. Li made the remarks during a media interview at NIO’s F2 manufacturing facility in Hefei, Anhui province.

Regulatory filings published earlier in January by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed the ES9’s exterior dimensions. The SUV measures 5,365 millimeters in length, 2,029 millimeters in width, and 1,870 millimeters in height, with a wheelbase of 3,250 millimeters. This makes it larger than the third-generation ES8, which measures 5,280 millimeters long, 2,010 millimeters wide, and 1,800 millimeters tall, while sharing the same wheelbase.

With these dimensions, the ES9 becomes the largest electric SUV NIO has developed to date. It will also be the third model built on NIO’s third-generation NT 3.0 vehicle platform, following the ET9 sedan and the third-generation ES8 SUV.

Source: NIO

NIO’s platform transition is continuing across its lineup. Qin said the updated ES7 SUV will launch in the third quarter of 2026, becoming the fourth model to migrate to the NT 3.0 platform. Beyond that, NIO’s core “5566” lineup — the ET5, ET5 Touring, ES6, and EC6 — is expected to complete its transition to the third-generation platform in 2027.

NIO has not disclosed pricing, powertrain specifications, battery configurations, driving range, or delivery timelines for the ES9. These details are expected to follow the technology launch and regulatory approvals closer to the vehicle’s market introduction.

The ES9 enters development as NIO continues scaling production of its third-generation models. The company recently delivered its 50,000th third-generation ES8, reaching the milestone 20 days after the 40,000th delivery, underscoring the pace at which NT 3.0-based vehicles are entering the market.

Whether the ES9 can translate its size, platform, and technology positioning into sustained demand at the top end of China’s electric SUV segment will become clearer once pricing and delivery plans are finalized.