- The next-generation Nio ES8 is 5,280 mm in length, longer than its predecessor's 5,099 mm.
- Nio president said last month that the updated ES8 would go on sale between August and September.
Nio (NYSE: NIO) has filed regulatory documents for its next-generation ES8 SUV (sport utility vehicle), revealing that the model has even larger dimensions than its predecessor.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today released the latest catalog of models set to be approved for sale, seeking public feedback, with the new ES8 included.
The public can submit feedback from June 21 to 27. Inclusion in this catalog is the final major regulatory step for a model to be approved for sale in China.
The new ES8 has a single page in the catalog, with the product model number NAL6533BSEVE1.
The SUV -- available in six- and seven-seat layouts -- measures 5,280 mm in length, 2,010 mm in width, and 1,800 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,250 mm.
These dimensions are larger than those of its predecessor, which measured 5,099 mm in length, 1,989 mm in width, and 1,750 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,070 mm.
The images in the catalog show that the new ES8 appears to have one additional LiDAR on each side of the body, in addition to the roof-mounted LiDAR from its predecessor.
The new ES8 has a curb weight of 2,630 kilograms and supports a maximum speed of 220 kilometers per hour.
It is equipped with dual motors provided by Nio's motor division XPT, with a peak power of 180 kW for the front motor and 340 kW for the rear motor, the same as its predecessor.
Its filing page shows that it uses ternary lithium batteries, supplied by CATL (SHE: 300750).
On the first day of the 2025 Shanghai auto show on April 23, Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li announced that the third-generation Nio ES8 would debut in the fourth quarter, without providing further details.
The ES8 is Nio's first mass-produced model, with the first generation launched on December 16, 2017, at Nio Day 2017.
The second-generation ES8 was launched at Nio Day 2022 on December 24, 2022, transitioning to the NT 2.0 platform.
The ES8 is Nio's current flagship SUV, with a starting price of RMB 498,000 ($69,390) including the battery pack. However, its position may be replaced by the even higher-end ES9.
Nio was expected to launch the flagship SUV ES9 in the first half of 2026, said Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of the company, at a user meetup event in Shenzhen on May 30. That was the first official mention of the ES9.
The updated ES8 would go on sale between August and September, Qin said at the time.
In China, nine is typically used for a carmaker's top-of-the-line model, as the number is often seen as the supreme symbol.
The name ES9 suggests that the SUV is likely to feature Nio's latest technological advancements, similar to the ET9, including two Shenji NX 9031 smart driving chips and the SkyRide chassis.
($1 = RMB 7.1772)
