Nio unveiled updated versions of its ET5 sedan and ET5T touring wagon, introducing extensive feature upgrades while maintaining the original starting price of RMB 298,000 ($41,500), as competition in China’s EV market continues to intensify.
The refreshed ET5 and ET5T now come standard with a 75-kWh battery pack and include more than 500 component-level upgrades aimed at enhancing vehicle safety, driving comfort, and the digital cockpit experience. Among the most notable updates is the inclusion of Nio’s in-house developed Shenji NX9031 autonomous driving chip, which the company says offers computing power on par with four Nvidia Orin X chips. This marks a departure from previous models, aligning the vehicles more closely with Nio’s flagship ET9 sedan.
A major visual change is the new horizontal AMOLED center display, replacing the previous vertical layout in older models. The new display mirrors the design found in Nio’s luxury executive sedan, reinforcing a unified design language across its lineup.
Under its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) subscription model, Nio continues to offer customers the option to purchase the vehicle body separately from the battery. Under this scheme, the ET5 and ET5T are priced at RMB 228,000, with monthly battery rental fees starting at RMB 728. All of Nio’s models support battery swapping technology, enabling users to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones in minutes.
The company announced that customers can begin placing orders for the upgraded ET5 and ET5T immediately, with deliveries starting at launch. To boost early adoption, Nio is offering several purchase incentives for orders placed on or before June 30. These include up to four free battery swaps per month for five years, five years of free access to its Navigate on Pilot Plus (NOP+) system, and a complimentary AC charging and discharging kit. Alternatively, customers can opt to receive RMB 5,000 in option funds instead of the hardware.
Further sweetening the offer, buyers will receive additional comfort features worth RMB 9,500 at no cost. These include ventilated front seats and massage functionality—amenities typically found in higher-end segments.
The ET5, a five-seat mid-size sedan, measures 4,790 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, and 1,499 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,888 mm. The ET5T touring version maintains the same overall dimensions but features an extended rear for enhanced cargo space, catering to a niche market segment with preferences for wagons.
Nio emphasized that the updates to the ET5 series follow the pattern of the refreshed ES6 and EC6, both of which launched on May 16 with similar upgrades to safety systems, infotainment, and intelligent driving features.
Both ET5 models have been instrumental in Nio’s sales performance. In 2024, the ET5 delivered 26,510 units, contributing 11.94 percent of the company’s total deliveries. The ET5T outperformed its sedan counterpart with 50,869 units delivered, accounting for 22.92 percent. Between January and April this year, the ET5 delivered 5,284 units, or 8.01 percent of total deliveries, while the ET5T contributed 13,468 units, or 20.41 percent.
By retaining its pricing strategy while implementing sweeping upgrades, Nio is positioning the refreshed ET5 lineup as a compelling offering in China’s fiercely competitive EV market. With rivals continuing to cut prices and introduce incentives, the new ET5 and ET5T aim to strengthen Nio’s foothold in the mid-to-high-end segment, while reinforcing its technological edge through vertical integration of key components such as chips and software systems.
