NIO has begun nationwide shipments of its all-new ES8 ahead of the model’s official launch.
On September 15, NIO announced that the all-new ES8 has begun nationwide shipments in preparation for its upcoming launch and deliveries. The model will make its official debut on September 20 during “NIO Day 2025” in Hangzhou.
Pre-orders for the ES8 opened on August 21, offering three trims: a seven-seat Executive Luxury Edition, a six-seat Executive Luxury Edition, and a six-seat Executive Signature Edition.
Pricing starts at RMB 416,800 ($58,500) for outright purchase and RMB 308,800 ($43,400) with the company’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) option.
Compared with the second-generation ES8, which launched with a price range of RMB 528,000–638,000 ($74,200–89,600), the new ES8 sees a significant price cut, with its starting price reduced by RMB 111,200 ($15,600).
“NIO does not disclose order numbers, but if we calculate by the hour, the all-new ES8 has already surpassed last month’s demand for the ONVO L90,” said NIO President Qin Lihong, speaking a day after the new model’s unveiling.
The new ES8 officially opened for nationwide test drives on September 10. According to NIO, the first day saw strong demand across dealerships, with some stores reporting test drive bookings extending past midnight.
Since the launch of the first-generation model in 2017, combined sales of the two generations of the ES8 have exceeded 93,000 units.
NIO founder William Li emphasized during the launch event that the ES8 has become the top-selling three-row premium electric SUV among Chinese brands, and also the overall sales leader in the three-row pure-electric SUV segment in China, regardless of price category.
The year 2025 marks a major product and infrastructure push for NIO. Alongside the ONVO L80 and the new ES8, the company has launched seven other models so far: the ET9, the new ES6, the new EC6, the new ET5, the ET5T, the ONVO L90, and the first model from NIO’s third brand, Firefly.
Looking ahead, Li revealed during the company’s Q2 earnings call that NIO plans to launch two additional large SUVs under the NIO brand next year: the ES9 and ES7. Together with the ONVO L80, NIO will have three new large SUVs scheduled for delivery in 2026.
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