Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio said on Monday it will allocate 100-kilowatt-hour battery packs primarily to production of its new third-generation ES8 SUV rather than battery swap stations, a move intended to speed up deliveries. The decision, announced via the company’s mobile app, will temporarily limit availability of the battery at some swap stations.
To offset the impact, Nio said customers taking delivery of the ES8 by December 31 will receive a RMB 400 ($56) charging subsidy. The company expects full deployment of the 100-kWh packs across its third- and fourth-generation swap stations by January 2026.
Nio launched the third-generation ES8 at its annual Nio Day event on September 20, with deliveries beginning the following day. The SUV, available in three variants, starts at RMB 406,800 ($57,130) with the battery included, or RMB 298,800 under the company’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) plan with a monthly rental fee of RMB 1,128.
The automaker has pledged production capacity of more than 40,000 ES8 units this year, all of which have already been sold. Customers placing new orders face delivery wait times of 24 to 26 weeks, stretching into March 2026. Nio has said it aims to build 10,000 units in October and 15,000 units in December as output ramps up.
Source: CNEVPOST