The Chinese premium smart electric vehicle brand NIO launched the NIO ES9 on May 27, 2026, and delivery began just a few days after that. Reportedly, within 72 hours, it received more than 20,000 firm orders, which averaged between 40 and 45 orders per store across the 577 locations in China.
They introduced the vehicle in the domestic market in three variants that are the Executive Luxury Edition, the Executive Signature Edition, and the Horizon Special Edition. The first one is available with the price of 498,000 CNY (₹69.96 lakh), the second one with 558,000 CNY (₹78.39 lakh), and the third with 628,000 CNY (₹88.23 lakh).
Among them, 75% of orders are received for Executive Signature Edition, 20% for Horizon Special Edition, and remaining 5% for Executive Luxury Edition. All these variants are available with sale also with the BaaS (Battery as a Service) programme, and interestingly, 95% of buyers are those who opted for it.
Notably, the BaaS scheme is a leasing model, under which you can buy a car without a battery and then pay for the battery use separately. The BaaS price for Executive Luxury Edition is 390,000 CNY (₹54.79 lakh), Executive Signature Edition is 450,000 CNY (₹63.50 lakh) and Horizon Special Edition is 520,000 CNY (₹73.06 lakh).
Reports also mention about the customer profile, out of total order, primarily 85% are male individuals who are between the ages of 35 and 50, and among them 35% are those buyers who already have been the customer of the NIO who are upgrading and replacing the existing model.
On the day, the NIO launched the NIO ES9, the share surged by 9.2% because of the positive response from the buyers. Its main competitors in the Chinese market are Zeekr 9X, AITO M9, and Li Auto L9. Let’s have a closer look at its specifications and features.
Dimensionally, the NIO ES9 is 5,365 mm longer, 2,029 mm wider, and 1,870 mm taller compared to all the abovementioned rivals in China; the NIO car gets the first spot in terms of length.
Upfront, it has Shark Nose closed grille and DRLs with HDPL projector main lamps; on sides, it features 3,250 mm wheelbase, 23-inch alloy wheels, and flush-type door; At the rear, it gets through-type full-width taillights with 632 LEDs, powered tailgate, and roof-spoiler.
Comes as a six seater in layout of 2-2-2, the front row seats are electronically adjustable with memory function, it also features heating, ventilation and massage functions. Features cargo capacity of 816 liters including 600 liters main boot space, and 216 litres frunk. The carmaker claims that it can carry 13 suitcases.
The second-row seats are Feihang zero gravity which are powered in 26-way, and support massage functions in 42-points. Executive Signature Edition also features 20-point mechanical foot massage functions. The third row seats also features heating, and for cooling they get separate AC vents
Built on 900-volt electrical architecture, two electric motors, one mounted on each axle, feature an all-wheel drive drivetrain. All variants use the single-speed automatic transmission.
The front one is a 180 kW induction motor, and the rear is a 340 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor; they combinedly put out 520 kW of power, and their peak torque is 720 Nm. The top speed is 220 km/h, and to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, it takes 4.3 seconds.
Equipped with a 120 kWh NMC battery pack that is provided by CATL, whose CLTC range is 620 km. Support DC chargers up to 600 kW, which take 5 minutes to add 255 km of CLTC range.
Md Alquama Alam is a Senior Writer at EVCarNews with over 5 years of dedicated experience in electric vehicle journalism. A graduate of Gaya College, Bihar, he is associated with Nyxweb Pvt. Ltd. and specializes in EV launches, industry analysis, and emerging mobility trends. His reporting is grounded in thorough research and a commitment to factual, reader-first content that helps consumers and enthusiasts make informed decisions about the future of electric mobility.