- Nio management said the proportion of orders for the two higher-priced trims far exceeded the company's expectations.
- The flagship model, starting at 498,000 yuan, features an advanced smart driving system and a luxurious interior.
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) announced Thursday that its highly anticipated new flagship SUV (sport utility vehicle) ES9 has begun its first batch of deliveries in China as scheduled.
The full-size SUV was officially launched yesterday, with a starting price of 498,000 yuan ($73,450) for the vehicle purchase including the battery pack.
If consumers choose the BaaS (battery as a service) option, the starting price of the model drops significantly to 390,000 yuan.
Deliveries starting today are for the ES9 models featuring a center island seating layout. Models with an aisle seating layout will begin deliveries in mid-July.
The later delivery time for the aisle version is mainly due to comprehensive considerations of the development pace and supply chain manufacturing efficiency, Nio management said in a communication with media including CnEVPost on Thursday.
Notably, Nio management revealed that the proportion of the higher-priced Executive Signature Edition and Horizon Special Edition in initial orders far exceeded expectations.
This indicates strong demand among Chinese consumers for high-end smart EVs and initially validates Nio's pricing strategy in the premium market.
The ES9 is a six-seat SUV and the largest pure electric SUV in China to date, with its massive body size directly rivaling the high-end MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) market.
It offers the base Executive Luxury trim, as well as the higher-priced Executive Signature and Horizon special edition trims; each trim level offers a choice of either a center island or aisle seating configuration for the second row.
The new car comes standard with the latest generation 900-volt high-voltage architecture, and its dual-motor powertrain enables it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds.
In terms of range, the ES9 is equipped with a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack from CATL (HKEX: 3750). Depending on the configuration, the model's maximum pure electric range can reach 620 kilometers, and it supports fast battery swap functionality.
Smart features are one of the core selling points of the ES9, with its hardware standards directly aligning with the family's flagship sedan ET9.
The new car is equipped with three LiDAR units and features Nio's in-house developed Shenji NX9031 driver assistance chip.
The model also debuts a new version of the Nio World Model smart driving assistance system, which can directly operate the steering wheel and the acceleration and deceleration pedals, significantly improving the refinement and accuracy of vehicle control.
To enhance the luxury feel of the executive ride, the ES9 interior is equipped with a 15.6-inch AMOLED floating center screen.
Rear passengers enjoy the same luxurious configurations as the ET9, including two 16-inch exclusive executive screens with a resolution of 3.3K.
The vehicle is also equipped with an industry-leading 47-speaker system with a rated power of up to 3,020 watts, providing an ultimate immersive acoustic experience.
Prior to the official delivery, Nio announced that basketball legend Yao Ming has become the chief experience officer for the ES9.
The company hopes to leverage the global influence of the NBA Hall of Famer to build momentum for the launch and delivery of this flagship SUV.
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