There were rumors circulating yesterday that NIO would be discontinuing its older models. However, the company has since clarified the situation in a response.
The NIO spokesperson stated that while previous media reports were false, the company’s older models are indeed on track to exit the market. “The three older products — ES8, ES6 and EC6 — are about to see their transitions and we are preparing for the model switch,” the spokesperson said.
As a result, the 2022 ES8, ES6 and EC6 are no longer in custom production, but a few show cars and existing cars are still available for sale. It’s worth noting that the NIO App continues to show expected delivery dates for some of the older models, although they are unchanged from the previous ones.
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Some local auto media had reported yesterday that NIO issued an internal notice stating that all first-generation products would be no longer available for sale starting February 16. According to these reports, these older models will be withdrawn from NIO’s showrooms nationwide and test cars will be retired. All of NIO’s current ES8, ES6, EC6 inventory, and show cars will be sold to a yet-to-be-disclosed company or entity, according to these reports.
However, the company has not confirmed these reports. Instead, the spokesperson emphasized that NIO will next go all out to push sales of models based on the NT 2.0 platform, including the EC7, ET7, and ET5, and get the Order to Delivery (OTD) cycle down to three weeks.
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The NIO App is currently showcasing eight models, including the ES8, ES6, and EC6 based on the NT 1.0 platform, and the new ES8, ES7, EC7, ET7, and ET5 based on the NT 2.0 platform. The EC7 coupe SUV and the all-new ES8 were launched at NIO Day 2022 on December 24, 2022, and deliveries are expected to begin in May and June 2023, respectively.