NIO launched the ES8, a three-row pure-electric SUV with innovative design, luxury features, competitive pricing, and advanced performance, aiming to crash the full-size SUV market.
NIO’s most anticipated launch of 2025—the all-new ES8, designed as the brand’s ultimate expression of a “pure-electric three-row SUV”—has finally made its debut.
Much like ONVO’s L90, NIO staged a three-hour “technology showcase” to reveal most of the ES8’s features, alongside its pre-sale pricing: the full-vehicle price starts at RMB 416,800 ($58,000), dropping to RMB 308,800 ($43,000) under the BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) leasing plan.
Customers placing a RMB 5,000 ($700) deposit before launch will receive a RMB 10,000 ($1,400) deduction on the final purchase. First-time trade-in buyers will also enjoy additional perks, including cash subsidies and loyalty point rewards.
CEO William Li announced that official sales will begin in late September, with first deliveries expected by the end of the month.
In short: if the ONVO L90 is considered a “table-flipping” product in the full-size pure-electric SUV space, then the ES8—judging by its positioning and pre-sale price—has been deliberately engineered to “crash the rivals.” Yet, with the flagship ES9 scheduled for launch next spring, the ES8 has undergone subtle repositioning in terms of both pricing and technology.
Here are the highlights of the new ES8.
Third-Generation Original Design
The first focus of the launch was design. NIO had already teased the ES8’s styling in a short video released on August 20.
The new model leans heavily into “luxury,” departing from the understated aesthetic of its predecessor in favor of a more extroverted look.
At 5,280 mm long, 2,010 mm wide, 1,800 mm tall, with a 3,130 mm wheelbase, the ES8 is the largest pure-electric SUV under RMB 1 million ($139,300), according to Li.
The “X-Bar” front fascia evolves into its third generation, featuring a new “Shark Nose” design.
Lighting details include “Double Dash Crystal Daytime Running Lamps” at the front and “Three-Layer Lightfeather Taillights” at the rear.
Six body colors are offered, all inspired by “sky palettes”: Midnight Black, Cloud White, Antarctic Blue, Dawn Gold, Starry Green, and Nebula Grey.
Moving on to the interior, much of the overall layout and some design details had already been revealed earlier, but this launch event focused on highlighting several specific design themes.
Inside, highlights include a 9.44-meter ambient lighting strip with 16 million colors, a 48-inch 5K “Skyline” digital panel, and 111 physical buttons across the cabin.
The “TUI Bar” interface has been upgraded with piezo-ceramic technology and reinforced aluminosilicate glass for enhanced gesture control.
Li emphasized that the ES8’s sense of luxury is rooted in “original design”—a concept NIO has championed since its founding.
Interior color palettes include Pamir Brown, Pearl Shell, Daisan Blue, and Sumac Red.
Exceptional Space
The ES8 offers both six-seat (2+2+2) and seven-seat (2+3+2) configurations.
In the six-seat version, the second row provides up to 1,407 mm of legroom, with a total cabin length of 2,757 mm.
Headroom measures 1,093 mm (front), 1,061 mm (second row), and 984 mm (third row)—all segment-leading, according to Li.
Shoulder room comes in at 1,528 mm, 1,512 mm, and 1,310 mm across the three rows, respectively.
In short, Li emphasized that the all-new ES8 offers the most spacious passenger cabin in its class.
Its cargo capacity underscores this advantage even more clearly: with a combined 777 liters from the front and rear trunks, the ES8 provides as much storage space as its rivals put together.
Measured by what Li called the “ONVO Formula,” the new ES8 achieves “6 passengers, 12 suitcases.”
The key to this level of practicality lies in the inclusion of a front trunk identical to that of the L90, offering 230 liters of capacity. In addition to traditional press-to-open and tap-to-open functions, it also supports voice-controlled opening.
It is complemented by a 547-liter rear trunk with a 132-liter lower compartment. With the third row folded flat, storage expands to 1,561 liters. The cabin offers more than 40 additional storage compartments.
Li argued the ES8 rivals mainstream MPVs in practicality, thanks to a 180 mm-wide aisle between the second-row seats.
“If the ES8 already matches MPVs in passenger and cargo space, why should NIO build one?” he remarked.
Enhanced Comfort
The highlight of the seating setup is the six-seat ES8, which features three zero-gravity seats. Consistent with earlier leaks, the second-row right-side seat supports 150 mm of lateral sliding.
In the seven-seat version, the front passenger seat offers a zero-gravity mode, while the second-row right-side seat provides a quasi-zero-gravity mode.
The third row in the seven-seat ES8 allows 130 mm of fore-aft sliding and 130° of backrest recline, ensuring enhanced comfort.
All seats across the three rows come with heating, with the front seats offering 10-point massage and the second-row seats 16-point massage.
Cabin refinement is further improved with 242 upgraded sound insulation components, achieving 60.5 dB cabin noise at 120 km/h. Privacy glass covers 1.7 square meters, and the rear side windows are equipped with manual sunshades.
To emphasize the ES8’s spaciousness, NIO has also integrated a mobile wardrobe feature, providing dedicated interior interfaces that allow for accessories like garment rods, effectively creating practical “wardrobe” space within the cabin.
The audio system is another standout: the ES8 features an 8.1.4.2 speaker setup with 27 speakers and 2,600 W total power. Named “NIO Lyra”, it differs from the ET9’s “Jiuxiao Lyra,” hinting at a distinction in tier and refinement.
Control screens include a 15.6-inch dual-layer AMOLED 3K central display, an 8-inch second-row screen with narrow bezels supporting HDR, and a ceiling-mounted 21.4-inch mini-LED “Sky Screen” with dual Dolby certification. This rear display supports multi-screen mirroring and delivers image quality comparable to high-end televisions.
Clearly, as a flagship model, the ES8 aims to lead its class in entertainment and cabin technology.
Flagship Performance
As a flagship model, the all-new ES8 naturally comes with air suspension. Before diving into handling, the first benefit of this long-travel suspension is improved ease of entry and exit.
In terms of core performance, the ES8 accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.97 seconds, making it the first model in its class to join the “3-second club.” Its drag coefficient is 0.259, with energy consumption of 16.6 kWh/100 km.
This performance is enabled by a dual-motor AWD setup, with the front motor producing 180 kW and the rear motor 340 kW.
Paired with a 102 kWh battery, the ES8 delivers 635 km of CLTC range, and its 900V platform supports 5C fast charging.
Regarding chassis capabilities, as speculated, the ES8 does not adopt the ET9’s “Tianxing Chassis” but features the Shenxing intelligent chassis system. Beyond air suspension and CDC damping, this AI-enabled system supports 4D all-domain comfort navigation, with 100% city coverage—meaning it can be activated on all roads across China.
Li noted that the ES8 debuts a “Highway Wet Mode,” allowing the sensing system to detect slippery road surfaces over 200 meters ahead at high speeds and adjust wheel torque to enhance safety.
Additional functions such as “slippery seam control” and “epoxy-floor intelligent speed regulation” provide similar benefits.
It is worth noting that the ES8 does not include rear-wheel steering, but with a 41° front wheel turning angle and an intelligent steering system, it achieves a 5.7-meter turning radius, offering an effective alternative solution.
Other special features include intelligent slope leveling and an anti-motion-sickness observation mode, all aimed at improving comfort for drivers and passengers during travel.
Full-Spectrum Intelligence
Next is the ES8’s intelligence and connectivity. As predicted by ChinaEV Home, the all-new ES8 is equipped with the full-power Cedar system, paired with the SkyOS system, bringing its overall smart capabilities closer in line with the ET9.
Overall, the ES8’s intelligence is reflected in three key aspects: full-domain integration, ultra-low latency, and ultra-low energy consumption—all powered by the Dimensity NX9031 chip. Li did not disclose the exact number of Dimensity chips onboard, but it is clear that NIO owners need not worry about computing power.
Similarly, autonomous driving capabilities are robust. The ES8 carries 31 ADAS sensors, with the front long-range LiDAR driven by NIO’s in-house Yangjian chip, ensuring reliable performance.
The vehicle also features two side LiDARs with a maximum detection range of 150 meters, complemented by front 4D radar and seven omnidirectional 8MP cameras, highlighting the system’s ability to operate in low-light conditions—implicitly reinforcing its active safety performance.
Of course, the ES8 comes standard with NMW (NIO World Model). Compared to other models, it does not introduce many new features; its autonomous driving and active safety capabilities are largely on par with the third-generation ET9 platform.
In short, the all-new ES8 is not part of a major upgrade to NIO’s intelligent driving ecosystem, so it is reasonable that its capabilities align with other new vehicles released in the same year.
Advanced Intelligence and Safety
Moving on to passive safety, the all-new ES8 is another model equipped with a front trunk, making its frontal collision performance a key focus.
From a technical perspective, the vehicle adopts a high-strength multi-dimensional front cabin structure, along with a cage-like body featuring 6 longitudinal, 10 lateral, and 8 vertical reinforcements. Combined with floor crossbeams made of steel with a strength of 2000 MPa and other high-strength materials, the ES8 achieves impressive results in crash tests.
For rear-end collisions, the ES8 uses a multi-layer rear buffering structure, balancing repairability at low speeds with safety at high speeds. The vehicle is equipped with 11 airbags, further enhancing collision protection.
As a large three-row SUV, the ES8 also considers occupant protection in reclined seating scenarios and for third-row passengers. The main solution involves larger and more extensive airbags. The third-row airbag has a volume of 91 liters and a total length of 3067 mm, which NIO claims is the best in its class.
Active safety functions not covered in the “vehicle intelligence” section are addressed here. The ES8 comes standard with 65 active and intelligent safety assistance features, highlighted by the AES (Automatic Emergency Steering) function. The “tire blowout autonomous parking” feature has been upgraded to function even at 130 km/h, further enhancing safety.
Li emphasized that driving safety is closely linked to the lighting system. The ES8’s intelligent high-definition projection headlights (HDPL) maintain effective illumination up to 100 meters, with finer light distribution and better road alignment.
Other functions include two-wheeler light reminders, lane-change follow with signal, and external warning lights when doors open, fully leveraging the headlight beam coverage.
Li also introduced a series of AI-powered blind-spot correction functions enabled by the Dimensity chip, such as corner hub blind-spot correction and water/fog removal.
In short, thanks to the powerful computing of the Dimensity chip and numerous onboard sensors, the ES8’s perception capabilities are greatly enhanced, covering multiple blind spots.
Advanced software algorithms compensate for traditional camera limitations, ensuring every image is highly detailed. These capabilities rely both on software and hardware, meaning that while some functions may be partially offered to other models, the strongest perception is exclusive to the ES8 or higher-tier models.
Regarding safety, the ES8 debuts the AI large-model-based Guard Mode, which drew audible reactions at the launch.
Leveraging AI cognition, Guard Mode continuously monitors the surroundings and interacts with the vehicle’s hardware.
For example, if the ES8 detects deep water, it will raise the suspension; if it senses fire nearby, it will proactively notify the owner.
Unsurprisingly, the safety segment was the longest part of the launch, reflecting industry consensus that “safety is the ultimate luxury.”
Finally, the AI-powered NOMI officially enters version 3.0, rebranded as NOMI Intelligence, with significantly improved conversational understanding and more expressive animations.
It can directly control 19 underlying vehicle functions and over 3,000 atomic features, covering a wide range of tasks, especially as an assistant providing advice and scheduling services.
Beyond these upgrades, NIO’s AI accessories for NOMI may attract even more user interest. Equipping NOMI with these accessories unlocks special functions, clearly reinforcing NIO’s community culture.
Crashing the Rivals?
The ES8’s pre-sale marks not just a redefinition of luxury—from “subtle” to “expressive”—but also a fundamental shift in NIO’s pricing strategy.
Whereas the previous generation hovered near RMB 500,000 ($69,600), the new ES8—with a standard 102 kWh pack—drops closer to RMB 400,000 ($55,700).
With this combination of product upgrades and aggressive pricing, NIO is clearly targeting disruption in the RMB 400,000 full-size SUV segment.
But this raises a pressing question: with the ES8 repositioned so sharply, what happens to NIO’s other 60-70 series models that still sit at similar price points?
That dilemma, for now, is left to the company to resolve.
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