Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming takes delivery of ES9 after over 2 months

Basketball legend Yao Ming has taken delivery of his NIO ES9 more than two months after placing an order, turning a celebrity handover into a telling snapshot of demand for the Chinese EV maker’s new flagship SUV.

Xia Qinghua (right), general manager of NIO's Shanghai regional office, handed over the NIO ES9 to Yao Ming

“After a long two-month wait, I finally got my ES9 today,” Yao wrote on the NIO App. William Li, NIO’s founder, chairman and CEO, later congratulated him on Weibo and said the delay came down to timing: Yao placed his order on the night of the ES9's launch event, but locked it in a few minutes after orders opened, which is why he had to wait more than two months, Li wrote. The detail matters because Yao was not just another early customer. NIO appointed the NBA Hall of Famer as chief experience officer for the ES9 ahead of its May 27 launch, and he appeared on stage at the event to discuss the vehicle. Even so, the company’s public account of his wait reinforces the message that the ES9 queue extends well beyond marketing optics.

Flagship SUV, premium pricing

NIO launched the ES9 in China with prices starting at RMB 498,000 including the battery pack. Buyers choosing the company’s Battery-as-a-Service plan can lower the upfront price to RMB 390,000, while subscribing separately for the battery.

Deliveries began on May 28, one day after the official launch. NIO handed over the 10,000th ES9 on June 26 and expects the 20,000th delivery to be reached this week, a pace that highlights the model’s early traction in China’s increasingly competitive premium electric SUV segment.

Demand Still outrunning supply

Waiting times for higher-end ES9 versions once reached 16 to 17 weeks and now remain at 13 to 14 weeks. The entry-level version, which omits the SkyRide fully active suspension system, currently carries a shorter estimated wait of three to four weeks.

For NIO, the backlog is more than a delivery challenge. It gives the ES9 a stronger commercial story at a time when Chinese electric-vehicle brands are under pressure to defend margins, sharpen brand positioning and prove that premium battery-electric SUVs can still command sustained buyer interest.


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