Nio Inc has taken a key regulatory step toward launching its new flagship electric SUV, the ES9, after the model appeared in a public catalog released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), clearing the final major hurdle before sales approval in the country.
The ES9 was listed in MIIT’s latest regulatory disclosure, which is open for public feedback from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15. The model, registered under the designation NAL6543BSEVD1, will be produced at Nio’s F2 factory in NeoPark, located in Hefei, Anhui province, according to the filing.
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Regulatory data show the ES9 is a full-size electric SUV measuring 5,365 mm in length, 2,029 mm in width and 1,870 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,250 mm. That makes it larger than Nio’s current ES8, already the biggest electric SUV offered by a domestic Chinese brand. The ES9 has a curb weight ranging from 2,845 kg to 2,915 kg, depending on configuration, and a top speed of 220 km/h. Battery cells for the model will be supplied by CATL, the filing showed.
Nio has positioned the ES9 as its new flagship SUV. Company co-founder and president Qin Lihong first publicly referenced the model in May 2025, when he said Nio would introduce its flagship SUV in the first half of 2026. In China, the use of the number “9” typically signals a manufacturer’s highest-end offering.
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Nio founder, chairman and chief executive William Li said the ES9 has completed its tooling trial manufacturing phase and will move into pre-production. “The ES9 will launch in the second quarter,” Li told reporters, reiterating a timeline the company previously outlined in late 2025. He added that all new technologies introduced on the ET9 sedan would also be applied to the ES9, and said he expected the model to achieve similar market acceptance to the ES8.
Li said the ES9 would be positioned differently from the ES8, noting that the new model is intended to be better suited for business-oriented use. The ES9 is expected to incorporate advanced systems seen on the ET9, including Nio’s Shenji NX 9031 smart driving chips and its SkyRide chassis technology.
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The ET9 is currently Nio’s most expensive vehicle, priced from 768,000 yuan ($109,990), placing it among the highest-priced models offered by a domestic Chinese automaker. While Nio has not disclosed pricing for the ES9, the regulatory filing and management comments underline the company’s intent to reinforce its presence at the top end of China’s electric vehicle market.
