In a notable turn of events, Nio’s upcoming annual event, Nio Day 2023, is gaining renewed attention following revelations from co-founder and president Qin Lihong. Contrary to earlier statements by founder and CEO William Li about a lack of new product launches in the coming year, Lihong hinted at significant unveilings during this year’s Nio Day, reigniting curiosity among stakeholders and enthusiasts.
The disclosure was made during an exclusive interview on Nio Radio, a dedicated program for Nio owners. Qin Lihong emphasized the presence of a “heavyweight product and model” to be revealed at the event, without delving into specific details.
Xi’an, Shaanxi province, emerged as the host city for Nio Day 2023 following a community vote on August 13. Although the exact date remains unspecified, the event typically takes place in December. Nio’s selection process mandated candidate cities to have a venue available for 14 consecutive days between December 1 and December 31, 2023, with the host day set on a Saturday.
Despite prior indications from William Li that Nio would refrain from new product launches next year, focusing instead on regular model refreshes, speculation surrounds the potential unveiling of a super-luxury sedan at Nio Day 2023. A video channel, Telescope, suggested that Nio might introduce a model to rival the Mercedes Maybach, although deliveries may not commence until 2025.
Notably, reports from about a year ago hinted at Nio’s ambition to create an ultra-luxury sedan to compete with the Mercedes Maybach S-Class. The sedan, envisioned to be priced at the 1 million yuan ($140,000) level, was expected to operate under the Nio brand, potentially hitting the market as early as 2024 and boasting global availability, pending successful development.
As anticipation builds for Nio Day 2023, stakeholders remain eager to discover the details behind the hinted “heavyweight” product, adding an element of intrigue to the forthcoming event.
