NIO Outsells Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi in Key China Premium Markets

NIO’s August sales update points to growing momentum in China’s higher-end EV segment, supported by strong ES8 volumes and weakening pricing power among legacy luxury automakers 

The NIO ES8

NIO outsold Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi across eight provincial-level regions and 37 cities in China in August, according to a regional sales update posted on social media by Yang Bo, NIO’s assistant vice president of user operations, on Sept. 17. The update highlights a notable regional shift in China’s premium auto market: NIO is not only increasing volumes, but doing so in markets traditionally dominated by Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. 

BBA is commonly used in China to refer collectively to Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, the three German luxury brands that have long dominated the country’s premium car market. In August, NIO outsold the three German luxury brands in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shaanxi and Hainan, as well as in 37 cities. 

The regional results suggest that NIO’s gains are concentrated in several important premium markets rather than limited to a single city or province. In August, NIO sold 556 vehicles in Chongqing, moving ahead of Mercedes-Benz after previously surpassing Audi. 

In Shanxi, NIO also overtook Mercedes-Benz for the first time after previously exceeding BMW. Guangdong has been one of NIO’s more consistent markets, with the brand outselling BBA for six consecutive months since the start of 2026. In Jiangsu, NIO surpassed Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi for two consecutive months in July and August. 

Those regional gains appear closely tied to the performance of NIO’s higher-volume electric SUV lineup, which gives the company a stronger position in the same premium price bands where German luxury brands have historically competed. 

The performance of individual models also helps explain some of NIO’s city-level gains. From January through August, the NIO All-New ES8 ranked first in Beijing’s large SUV market, while firefly ranked first in Nanning’s small-car segment. In Anhui, the NIO ES8, ES9 and ONVO L80 took the top three positions in Hefei’s large SUV market in August.

The continued ramp-up of the ES8 has been a major factor behind NIO’s regional performance. Yang recently said NIO would deliver its 150,000th All-New ES8 this week, underscoring how the model’s scale has become central to the company’s premium-market momentum. 

On August 21, the model reached 140,000 cumulative deliveries, meaning the two milestones were less than a month apart. On a monthly basis, the ES8 recorded retail sales of 10,991 units in August, remaining above 10,000 units for the 10th consecutive month. 

The ES8 continues to rank among the leading models in China’s large SUV and RMB 400,000-plus segments. 

The NIO ES9

The ES9 delivered 6,474 units during the same month, ranking first among RMB 500,000-plus battery-electric models for the third consecutive month. 

The sustained volume of the two high-priced electric SUVs has provided an important foundation for NIO’s competition with traditional luxury brands in some premium markets. By comparison, traditional luxury brands continue to face sales pressure in China, creating a sharper contrast with NIO’s regional gains. 

In August, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all recorded sharp declines in China, with each brand’s sales falling by more than 25%. The price gap is even more pronounced. Some core BBA models are now transacting at around RMB 260,000-RMB 350,000 ($38,720-$52,080) at the retail level. 

By contrast, NIO’s average transaction price was still RMB 434,600 ($64,670) in July. The shift in sales appears to reflect both the ramp-up of premium electric SUVs and the pressure facing traditional luxury brands as China’s market moves further toward new-energy vehicles. 

The RMB 300,000-plus ($44,500-plus) segment, once firmly controlled by BBA, is now attracting a growing number of Chinese NEV brands. The shift is changing more than market share: it is weakening the pricing power that once sustained the premium enjoyed by traditional luxury brands.