Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio plans to unveil its new flagship SUV, the ES9, in the second quarter of 2026, founder and CEO William Li said during an offline Q&A session, according to a video shared on Weibo by automotive blogger @兄弟电动.
The announcement marks the first time Nio has provided a specific timeline for the ES9’s debut. Li did not confirm whether the model would officially launch or only be revealed in the second quarter, though some attendees suggested the company might first hold a technology event, similar to the rollout of the ES8.
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Nio president Qin Lihong previously indicated in May that the ES9 would arrive in the first half of 2026. Li also reiterated that production capacity for the new ES8 is set to reach 15,000 units by December, with delivery backlogs extending to April 2026.
The third-generation ES8, launched at Nio Day 2025 in September, has become one of Nio’s top-selling models, delivering 2,803 units that month — its highest level since January 2019. The ES9 is expected to succeed it as Nio’s new flagship SUV.
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Spy photos circulating on Chinese social media suggest the ES9 is larger than the current ES8, which measures 5,280 mm in length and is already among the largest pure-electric SUVs in China. Industry observers expect the new model to share several technologies with Nio’s executive sedan, the ET9, including the SkyRide intelligent chassis and in-house developed Shenji NX9031 smart driving chips.
The ET9 currently starts at RMB 768,000 ($107,840) in China, positioning it among the country’s most premium domestically built electric vehicles.