Nio said it had delivered 20,000 units of its third-generation ES8 electric sport utility vehicle just 70 days after the model’s market launch, making it the fastest pure-electric vehicle priced above 400,000 yuan ($56,540) to reach that threshold in China.
The company unveiled the updated ES8 at its Nio Day 2025 event on Sept. 20, with customer deliveries beginning the following day. The three-row electric SUV is available in six- and seven-seat configurations and is priced from 406,800 yuan including the battery pack, placing it among the most expensive models in Nio’s lineup. Founder and Chief Executive Officer William Li said at the launch that annual production capacity for the model was expected to reach about 40,000 units this year.
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Strong early demand led to rapid order saturation. Nio said that production slots for the ES8’s 2025 output were fully booked just two days after launch, pushing delivery timelines for new orders into 2026. In October, Nio delivered a record 40,397 vehicles overall, with the ES8 accounting for 6,703 units, making it the brand’s top-selling model for the month.
During an earnings call on Nov. 25, Nio management said the delivery target for the ES8 this year remains 40,000 units, with most volume scheduled for the fourth quarter. To meet that goal, the company will need to deliver about 20,000 units of the model in December alone. Earlier guidance indicated that monthly production capacity for the all-new ES8 could reach 15,000 units in December, while Nio Vice President of Product Marketing Kang Kai said at the Guangzhou auto show that the company is aiming for capacity of 20,000 units for the month.
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Nio also expects the strong mix of high-end ES8 deliveries to lift profitability. The company forecast fourth-quarter vehicle margins at about 18%, up from 14.7% in the third quarter, with the ES8’s gross margin expected to exceed 20%, management said.
