Nio ES9 Deliveries Surge as Flagship SUVs Drive June Sales Growth

Nio Inc's flagship SUV lineup played a central role in the company's June sales performance, with the newly launched ES9 rapidly emerging as a major contributor. During its first complete delivery month, the ES9 reached 8,595 deliveries, representing 21.17% of the company's total monthly deliveries and 39.23% of the Nio main brand's volume. Its strong market reception highlights growing customer demand for premium electric SUVs while reinforcing the company's focus on higher-value vehicle segments.

ES9 Records Strong First Full Delivery Month

The ES9 officially entered the market on May 27, with customer deliveries beginning one day later. After delivering 3,108 units during the final four days of May, the model achieved 8,595 deliveries in June, reflecting a 176.54% month-on-month increase. The premium SUV starts at 498,000 yuan for outright purchase, while customers can lower the initial purchase cost to 390,000 yuan through the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) subscription program.

On June 26, Nio Inc confirmed that cumulative ES9 deliveries had surpassed 10,000 units only about 30 days after deliveries began. According to the company, this established a new benchmark for the fastest delivery milestone achieved by a premium battery-electric vehicle priced in the 500,000-yuan category within the China market.

ES8 Experiences Monthly Decline Despite Strong Annual Growth

While the ES9 continued its rapid expansion, the ES8 experienced softer monthly demand. The flagship SUV delivered 8,969 units during June, representing a 21.85% decline from May and ending seven consecutive months of deliveries exceeding 10,000 units. Nevertheless, compared with the same period last year, ES8 deliveries increased by 969.01%, indicating that demand remains substantially higher on an annual basis despite the monthly slowdown.

Deutsche Bank analysts stated that weaker ES8 deliveries largely explained why the company's June deliveries came in slightly below management guidance. The analysts indicated that some customers postponed purchases while waiting for the launch of the upcoming five-seat ES8 variant.

Five-Seat ES8 Expected to Expand Customer Reach

The five-seat ES8 opened for pre-orders on June 28 and is scheduled for its official launch on July 9 at 7:30 pm Beijing Time. It will join the existing six-seat and seven-seat versions, giving customers additional configuration choices. The third-generation ES8 starts at 406,800 yuan and remains one of the company's highest gross margin products, making it an important contributor to its recent financial recovery.

The ES8 also achieved another production milestone by completing its 120,000th vehicle delivery on June 22, only 275 days after customer deliveries began at the end of September 2025. The achievement demonstrates the model's continued importance within the company's premium vehicle portfolio.

Flagship SUVs Dominate Monthly Delivery Mix

Together, the ES9 and ES8 delivered 17,564 vehicles during June, accounting for 43.3% of Nio Inc's total monthly deliveries of 40,597 units. They also represented 80.2% of the Nio main brand's 21,908 deliveries. Supported by these premium models, the average transaction price across the Nio brand increased to 443,000 yuan during the month.

June 2026 Delivery Performance by Key Models

Other Models Face Delivery Pressure

Although flagship SUVs delivered strong results, several other models recorded notable declines. The ES6 delivered 1,219 units, while the ET5 Touring reached 1,822 units. The ET5 and EC6 recorded 618 and 549 deliveries respectively. Overall company deliveries totaled 40,597 vehicles during June, representing 62.88% year-on-year growth and the highest monthly volume of the year. However, second-quarter deliveries of 107,658 units remained below the company's guidance range of 110,000 to 115,000 units. Meanwhile, sub-brands Onvo and Firefly delivered 11,743 and 6,946 vehicles respectively.

Analysts Remain Positive on Profit Outlook

Deutsche Bank continues to expect the company to achieve non-GAAP breakeven during the second quarter, supported primarily by the profitability of its flagship SUVs. The bank estimates that the ES9 currently has a non-cancelable order backlog exceeding 40,000 units. Analysts also believe the significant pricing difference between the ES9 and ES8 minimizes direct competition between the two vehicles. The ES8 targets family buyers competing with Li Auto's Li L8 and Huawei-backed Aito M8, while the ES9 focuses on executive customers competing with the Aito M9 and Zeekr 9X.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the ES9 influence Nio's June 2026 delivery performance?
The ES9 became one of the company's strongest-performing models during its first complete delivery month, reaching 8,595 deliveries and contributing more than one-fifth of total monthly deliveries. Together with the ES8, it accounted for over 43% of overall company deliveries and helped increase the brand's average transaction price. Analysts believe the model's high margins and substantial order backlog could play an important role in supporting the company's financial performance going forward.