With the new ES8’s delivery cycle extending beyond 22 weeks, NIO is slowing the pace of new launches to balance production constraints and multi-brand coordination.
On October 25, NIO held a User Face-to-Face session — a regular, high-frequency offline communication format that has become part of its user engagement system.
William Li, NIO’s founder and CEO, attended the event and addressed several key topics raised by users. The most closely followed among them was the delivery status of the new ES8.
Li noted with a smile that NIO never discloses the number of locked or firm orders but offered some context.
Currently, the expected delivery time for the new ES8 stands at 22 to 23 weeks, meaning new buyers will likely receive their cars around April 2026. The model’s December production capacity is planned at 15,000 units.
Referencing Li’s earlier comments during the NIO Day group interview, the annual production target for the ES8 this year is set at 40,000 units. Since deliveries began on September 21, the model has recorded 3,024 units in its first month (including a small number of second-generation ES8s). Cumulative production for October and November is expected to exceed 10,000 units, implying a locked order volume of roughly 70,000 units.
NIO has also made an interesting adjustment to its next two product launches, the ES9 and ONVO L80.
Li revealed that the ES9, originally scheduled for launch and delivery in Q1 2026, will now be postponed to Q2, with the ONVO L80 timeline adjusted accordingly.
Behind this shift lies NIO’s effort to balance brand coordination with limited production capacity.
The strong demand for the ES8 and L90 has pushed production lines close to full load, while an overly dense launch schedule risks internal brand overlap. Under these conditions, slowing the pace appears to be a pragmatic and strategic choice.
At the group level, NIO’s three brands are each entering distinct growth phases.
The ONVO L90 has delivered over 30,000 units in just 86 days since its August 1 launch, ranking top three in China’s large SUV market for two consecutive months. The Firefly compact EV surpassed 5,000 deliveries in September, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 20,000 units. Meanwhile, the new ES8’s strong momentum has brought the NIO brand itself back onto a growth trajectory.
During the event, William Li remarked that “NIO has entered its second cycle.”
Behind this statement lies both a reflection on the challenges of recent years and a renewed sense of confidence. After weathering a difficult phase, NIO appears to have found its rhythm again.
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