Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio Inc reported a sharp increase in March deliveries as demand recovered following the seasonal slowdown at the beginning of the year.
The company delivered 35,486 vehicles in March, representing a 135.96% increase year-on-year and a 70.63% rise from February, according to data released on Wednesday. Deliveries included 22,490 units from the Nio brand, 6,877 from its sub-brand Onvo, and 6,119 from Firefly.
In the first quarter, Nio delivered 83,465 vehicles, up 98.28% from a year earlier, although down 33.12% compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. The total exceeded the upper end of the company’s guidance range of 80,000 to 83,000 units.
By brand, the Nio core lineup accounted for 58,543 vehicles in the quarter, while Onvo delivered 13,339 units and Firefly contributed 11,583 units.
Nio’s Hong Kong-listed shares rose about 10% on Wednesday, reflecting investor expectations for improved delivery performance and a strong pipeline of upcoming models.
The company attributed recent growth to demand for its flagship premium SUV, the ES8. The model reached its 80,000th delivery on March 20, taking 181 days. In March alone, the ES8 recorded 16,255 deliveries, ranking as the best-selling large SUV and the top-selling model priced above 400,000 yuan ($58,180) in China for three consecutive months, according to the company.
Nio said the ES8’s performance has supported its recent financial improvement, including an operating profit of 1.25 billion yuan in the fourth quarter of last year.
Looking ahead, the automaker is preparing an intensive product launch cycle. It will introduce the 2026 versions of the ES6, EC6, ET5, and ET5 Touring on April 2. These models, collectively referred to as the “5566” lineup, will feature upgrades in design, configuration, and intelligent driving capabilities, targeting the mid-premium segment around 300,000 yuan.
The company will also host a product and technology launch event for its new flagship SUV, the ES9, on April 9.
Sub-brand Onvo is expected to release the 2026 version of its L90 large SUV later in April, while another SUV, the L80, is also scheduled for launch. In addition, Nio plans to introduce a five-seat version of the ES8 in early July to further support demand in the large SUV segment.
