Nio ES9 flagship electric SUV to reach 30,000 deliveries this week

• ES9 cumulative deliveries are expected to reach 30,000 this week, after hitting 20,000 on August 8.
• The ES9 and ES8 together accounted for more than 80% of Nio's main-brand deliveries in August, making large electric SUVs a pillar of its sales.

Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) is expected to deliver its 30,000th ES9 flagship SUV (sport utility vehicle) this week, less than 4 months after deliveries of the premium electric model began.

Yang Bo, Nio's head of user operations, shared the expectation on Weibo on Monday. Just 1 day earlier, the third-generation ES8 SUV reached 150,000 cumulative deliveries on the first anniversary of its launch.

"The golden age of large, 3-row all-electric vehicles has arrived!" Yang wrote. The successive delivery milestones underscore the importance of large electric SUVs in Nio's lineup.

The ES9 was launched in China on May 27, with deliveries beginning the following day. Cumulative deliveries reached 10,000 on June 26 and 20,000 on August 8.

ES9 deliveries totaled 6,479 in August, up 2.60% from July and accounting for 30.60% of the Nio main brand's deliveries that month, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

By the end of August, cumulative ES9 deliveries stood at 24,497. Reaching the 30,000 milestone would bring the model's deliveries since the start of September to 5,503.

The ES9 and ES8 together delivered 17,480 vehicles in August, accounting for 82.55% of the Nio main brand's total, highlighting the 2 SUVs' role as its primary sales drivers.

Positioned above the ES8, the ES9 launched with a starting price of 498,000 yuan ($73,790), including the battery pack. The starting price under the BaaS (battery as a service) battery rental plan was 390,000 yuan.

The 6-seat SUV features a 900-volt high-voltage architecture and supports rapid battery swapping. The Executive Signature Edition and Horizon Edition also feature dual Shenji NX9031 assisted-driving chips and the SkyRide fully active suspension system.

When deliveries began in May, Nio's management said the share of initial orders for these 2 higher-end variants far exceeded the company's expectations.

The ES9's delivery footprint is also expanding. Deliveries began in Macau on September 2, coinciding with the opening of Nio's first Nio House in the city.