NIO ES9 Secures Two-Month Sales Lead Among China’s EVs Above $74,100

On August 11, NIO announced that its flagship large electric SUV, the ES9, ranked first in sales among battery-electric SUVs priced above RMB 500,000 ($74,100) in July, extending its lead in the segment for a second consecutive month.

Earlier on Saturday, the ES9 completed its 20,000th vehicle delivery.

The model reached the milestone 73 days after launch, maintaining strong delivery momentum after surpassing its first 10,000-unit milestone.

The ES9 officially launched on May 27 this year and began nationwide deliveries the following day, with prices starting at RMB 498,000 ($73,800).

Under NIO’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) subscription model, the starting price drops to RMB 390,000 ($57,800).

Thirty days after launch, the ES9 completed its first 10,000 deliveries.

Both 10,000-unit milestones set new records for delivery speed among premium electric vehicles priced above RMB 500,000 ($73,900) in China’s passenger vehicle market.

The ES9 has gradually become an important growth driver for the NIO brand in the premium SUV segment.

According to data compiled by ChinaEV Home, NIO ES9 retail sales reached 6,311 units in July, ranking sixth among full-size SUVs.

Within the RMB 500,000 ($73,900)-level pure-electric SUV segment, the ES9 maintained its leading position and remained the best-selling battery-electric model in its price category.

Across the broader large SUV market, NIO’s ES8 also continued to deliver strong sales performance.

ES8 retail sales reached 10,284 units in July, making it the best-selling full-size SUV and the top model in the RMB 400,000 ($59,100)-level segment.

Leapmotor D19 and AITO M9 followed with sales of 10,043 units and 9,639 units, respectively.

Compared with the ES8, the ES9 is positioned higher within NIO’s lineup and carries one of the highest price tags among the models on the sales ranking.

In the market above RMB 500,000 ($73,900), where traditional luxury brands compete alongside emerging EV manufacturers, the ES9’s sales performance reflects growing consumer acceptance of large premium electric SUVs.

The ES9’s sales growth has also contributed to changes in NIO’s overall transaction structure.

NIO Vice President Ma Lin previously said that NIO brand vehicles achieved an average transaction price of RMB 434,600 ($64,400) in July 2026.

This exceeds the average transaction prices of traditional luxury brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi.

Beyond sales performance, NIO has continued to focus on after-sales service experience that remain the key consideration for premium EV buyers.

J.D. Power’s 2026 NEV-CSI study showed that the NIO brand ranked first in EV after-sales satisfaction with a score of 814 points, securing the top position among both luxury brands and domestic brands.