NIO Inc (NYSE: NIO, HKG: 9866) officially launched the ES9 at an event in Beijing on May 27, 2026, setting the starting price at 498,000 CNY (c. $73,400) — 30,000 CNY, or 5.7%, below the figure announced at pre-sales seven weeks earlier.

Buyers opting for NIO's Battery-as-a-Service rental program can reduce that entry price to 390,000 CNY (c. $57,470), with a monthly battery rental fee of 1,128 CNY for the 102 kWh pack.

NIO ES9 pricing (NIO)

Three trims are available: the base Executive Luxury at 498,000 CNY (c. $73,400), the Executive Signature at 558,000 CNY (c. $82,280), and the range-topping Horizon Special Edition at 628,000 CNY (c. $92,600). Each trim's final price came in 30,000 CNY lower than its pre-sales figure.

The ES9 is the largest mass-produced battery-electric SUV in China, measuring 5,365 mm long, 2,029 mm wide, and 1,870 mm tall on a 3,250 mm wheelbase. NIO CEO William Li said at the event that the vehicle is designed to make buyers forget about MPVs — a claim that drew a public response from General Motors' Buick brand following the April pre-sales event.

A dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain produces a combined 520 kW (697 hp) and 700 Nm of torque, with a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time of 4.3 seconds. The 102 kWh ternary NMC battery pack, supplied by CATL (HKEX: 3750), delivers CLTC-rated ranges of 580 km (360 miles), 600 km (373 miles), or 620 km (385 miles) depending on trim. The ES9 uses a 900V high-voltage architecture and supports both DC fast charging and NIO's three-minute battery swap.

NIO ES9 launch night (NIO)

The chassis borrows the ET9 sedan's Skyline platform, including steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering, and — on the two upper trims — SkyRide fully active suspension. Rear-wheel steering brings the turning radius down to 5.4 meters across all variants. The base Executive Luxury comes with one in-house Shenji NX9031 5 nm autonomous driving chip; the Signature and Horizon trims each receive two, powering 31 sensors that include three LiDARs.

Inside, a 15.6-inch AMOLED central screen is flanked by a 48-inch strip display across the center console, with two 16-inch 3.3K rear executive screens. The audio system runs to 47 speakers at a rated output of 3,020 W. Second-row seats offer 26-position power adjustment, a 42-point massage function, and heating across 1.91 square meters of surface area. Standard trunk volume is 477 liters, expandable to 1,586 liters with the third row folded.

NIO appointed basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming as the ES9's Chief Experience Officer ahead of the launch event, where he took the stage to highlight the model's cabin space, battery swap capability, and intelligent driving features.

Deliveries of the center-console second-row configuration begin May 28, 2026, with the open aisle-layout variant following in mid-July. The launch came on the same day Huawei-backed AITO unveiled an updated M9 SUV starting at 479,800 CNY — 20,000 CNY lower than its pre-sales price.

NIO delivered 18,991 vehicles in China in April 2026, down 1.4% year-on-year, with the updated ES8 accounting for 13,020 of those units.

Whether the ES9 can replicate the ES8's breakout trajectory at a considerably higher price point will depend on how buyers in the premium segment weigh its technology package against entrenched combustion rivals, as well as extended-range and fully electric peers.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 6.7820 CNY as of May 27, 2026