NIO ES9 Deliveries Hit 7,706 in September as Flagship Electric SUV Gains Momentum

The Chinese automaker’s luxury six-seater posted its second-best monthly result since launch, strengthening its position in the 500,000-yuan segment with 900-volt technology, battery swapping and up to 620 km of CLTC range 

NIO delivered 7,706 units of its flagship ES9 SUV in September, the model's second-highest monthly total since launch, as large battery-electric SUVs continued to dominate sales at the Chinese EV maker's main brand. ES9 deliveries rose 18.94% from August, trailing only June's record of 8,595 units, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data. 

The ES9 led sales in China's battery-electric vehicle segment priced around 500,000 yuan for a fourth consecutive month in September, Nio said on Weibo on Tuesday. Cumulative ES9 deliveries reached 32,203 units by the end of September. 

The ES9 went on sale on May 27, with deliveries starting the following day. Priced from 498,000 yuan ($74,000) including the battery pack, it is among the most expensive models from a domestic Chinese automaker. If consumers opt for the battery as a service (BaaS) rental program, the model's starting price will be further reduced to 390,000 yuan. 

The ES9 is touted by NIO as the largest pure electric SUV in China. Its body length reaches 5,365 mm, with a width of 2,029 mm, a height of 1,870 mm, and a wheelbase stretching to 3,250 mm. Despite being a massive SUV, the NIO ES9 boasts a considerably low drag coefficient of 0.264 Cd. For clarity, a smaller Porsche Cayenne Electric has a drag coefficient of 0.25 Cd. The lower Cd means a lower energy consumption and quieter rides on highways. 

The massive body not only provides a spacious six-seat interior but also directly benchmarks against premium multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) models. NIO's founder, chairman, and CEO William Li reiterated at launch event that the ES9 can make people forget about MPVs. 

The entire ES9 lineup comes standard with the latest generation of the 900-volt high-voltage architecture. It adopts a dual-motor combination of a 180-kilowatt front motor and a 340-kilowatt rear motor. The powertrain's combined maximum output reaches 520 kW (697 hp) with a peak torque of 700 Nm, allowing this large SUV to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just 4.3 seconds. 

The ES9 is equipped as standard with a 102-kWh battery pack from CATL. Depending on the configuration and weight, the ES9's CLTC comprehensive pure electric range is 580 kilometers, 600 kilometers, and 620 kilometers, respectively. Like NIO's other models, the ES9 supports three-minute fast battery swapping as well as supercharging. 

Notably, NIO has made clear differentiated configurations in the vehicle's intelligent hardware. The lowest-priced Executive Luxury edition is equipped with only one in-house developed 5-nanometer Shenji NX9031 autonomous driving chip. Meanwhile, the Executive Signature and Horizon editions are equipped with two such chips to support more complex computing demands. 

In addition, the SkyRide fully active suspension system is only offered as standard on the Executive Signature and Horizon editions; the base model does not feature this advanced chassis technology. 

However, the entire lineup comes standard with a rear-wheel steering system, giving the large vehicle a turning radius of just 5.4 meters. The car’s ground clearance could be increased by 60 mm. 

To further enhance the appeal of this executive-level ride, NIO equipped the ES9's interior with three Tandem dual-layer AMOLED screens, including a 15.6-inch central control screen and two 16-inch exclusive executive screens with a resolution of up to 3.3K. The new car also highlights extreme acoustic effects, equipped with an industry-leading 47 speakers throughout the vehicle, with a rated power of up to 3,020 watts. 

The ES9 features a 2+2+2 six-seat layout with zero-gravity seats in the second row that support large reclining angles. Rear seats include ventilation, heating, and massage functions. The second and third rows are equipped with flexible electrochromic privacy windows offering three modes: privacy, heat insulation, and transparency. 

The second-row seats of the NIO ES9 offer 26-position power adjustment, with the right seat supporting 150 mm of lateral sliding. The seats’ heating area reaches 1.91 square meters, including a cushion, a leg rest, a backrest, armrests, a headrest, and a neck pillow. However, the major highlight of these captain chairs is a 42-point massage system, which comprises a 20-point foot massage function. 

The third-row seats adopt power adjustments and heating. The NIO ES9 boasts a standard trunk capacity of 477 liters. At the same time, it has a 123-liter hidden storage compartment under the trunk’s floor. By folding down the third-row seats, the car’s user can expand the trunk volume to 1,586 liters. The car could be automatically lowered by 35 mm to ease the loading process. 

Another storage compartment hides under the hood of the ES9. There is a frunk for 216 liters with a static load capacity of up to 100 kg and a dynamic capacity of 50 kg. It is equipped with a charging port and supports 11 opening methods, including gestures, tapping, kicking, voice commands, and pressing the car’s logo. The air suspension also automatically lowers the car when the hood is up.