Nio ES8 selected as official vehicle for 2026 APEC trade meeting

  • The move is expected to further elevate Nio ES8's brand image in the premium executive market.
  • The third-generation ES8 will reach its 110,000th delivery milestone this week.
(Image credit: Nio)

Nio Inc's (NYSE: NIO) premium electric SUV (sport utility vehicle), the ES8, has been selected as the official VIP vehicle for the 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting.

A vehicle delivery ceremony was held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on May 15, according to an announcement on Monday. This marks the appearance of Nio's flagship model at one of China's most important home diplomatic events.

As the backbone of the fleet for this high-level meeting, Nio will provide a service fleet consisting of the all-new ES8, accompanied by a dedicated chauffeur service team.

Join us on or

The model aims to provide safe, comfortable, and reliable transportation services that meet international standards for visiting trade officials, leveraging its executive-level cabin configuration, the company said.

The 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting will open on May 22 at the Suzhou Jinji Lake International Convention Center and close on May 23. Preliminary seminars and senior officials' meetings will begin on May 20 ahead of the opening.

Becoming the official vehicle for the event will further strengthen Nio's premium, smart, reliable, and attentive brand image, the company said.

This is the all-new ES8's latest appearance on the stage of a top-tier global conference, following its selection as the official designated vehicle for the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) last November.

The ES8, Nio's flagship SUV, has seen monthly deliveries exceed 10,000 units for six consecutive months.

Earlier today, Yang Bo, Nio's head of user relations, announced via the social media platform Weibo that the third-generation ES8 will reach its 110,000th delivery this week.

This sales milestone underscores the model's exceptionally strong growth potential and market appeal in China's fiercely competitive premium EV market.

The third-generation ES8 contributed 44% of Nio Inc's total deliveries in April and has topped the retail sales chart for large SUVs in China for five consecutive months, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

The model, which starts at 406,800 yuan ($59,980), drove Nio's financial turnaround in the fourth quarter of 2025 through its high gross margin performance.

Ahead of Nio's upcoming earnings report on May 21, the robust demand for the ES8 is expected to provide support for the company's financial performance in the traditionally slow first quarter.

Nio's April deliveries breakdown highlights the continued overwhelming dominance of the ES8 SUV.
May 12, 2026

($1 = 6.8169 yuan)

Nio News Alert
Subscribe to receive email notifications immediately when new articles about Nio are published.
Nio
View more channels