Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO is speeding up the retirement of its older models and launching new ones following complaints about its slow product launches. According to a report from Yiche, NIO has issued an urgent internal notice that all first-generation products will be discontinued starting from the next day.
The discontinued models, including the ES8, ES6, and EC6, will be withdrawn from NIO showrooms nationwide, and all test cars will be retired. NIO’s current inventory and show cars will be sold to a yet-to-be-disclosed entity. The company plans to focus on selling models based on the NT 2.0 platform, such as the EC7, ET7, and ET5, and get the Order to Delivery (OTD) cycle down to three weeks.
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NIO may also consider early delivery for the all-new ES8 and the new EC6, according to the report. Sun Shaojun, the founder of local car consumer platform Car Fans, commented that NIO cleared its entire inventory in just two weeks, which is a fast achievement.
On February 2, NIO offered discounts of up to 100,000 yuan ($14,900) on some models to increase sales. The report sparked a broad discussion in the Chinese community after its publication. NIO later denied that it had reduced the price of its models across the board. Instead, the company released its official discount program on February 3, detailing the benefits for older models and stock car discounts, as well as a small cash discount for NT 2.0 platform models.
Currently, NIO App showcases 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. NIO’s older models are still on sale despite the launch of the EC7 and the new ES8.
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However, NIO’s mobile app showed slightly shorter wait times for the ES7, ET7, and ET5 yesterday. Consumers who lock in their ES7 orders now are expected to get deliveries in about three weeks. The wait time for the ES7 was previously three to four weeks. The wait time for NIO’s flagship sedan, the ET7, is currently around three weeks, down from three to four weeks, while the wait time for the ET5 is now two to three weeks, down from about three weeks.
