Starting at 298,800 Yuan, This Time the All-New NIO ES8 Made It!

NIO's most important model in the past eleven years, and also the hope for NIO's "revival"—the third-generation NIO ES8 has finally arrived.

On September 20, the all-new NIO ES8 was officially launched at the 2025 NIO Day. The new car is available in three versions, with a purchase price ranging from 406,800 to 446,800 yuan. With the battery leasing option, the price is only 298,800 to 338,800 yuan.

What are the updates and upgrades in the new NIO ES8?

The NIO ES8 was born in 2017 as a pioneer of luxury models among domestic brands. After eight years, its third-generation model has finally arrived. The new car is built on the NT3.0 platform and has undergone comprehensive upgrades in terms of exterior, interior, vehicle dimensions, intelligent cockpit, intelligent driving, power, and chassis compared to the previous generation.

The most visually noticeable change is that the body has become larger. In terms of dimensions, the new car measures 5280/2010/1800mm with a wheelbase of 3130mm, compared to the old ES8's dimensions of 5099/1989/1750mm and a wheelbase of 3070mm, which represents an increase of 181mm, 21mm, 50mm, and 60mm respectively. This means that the interior space has also expanded. In addition, the biggest upgrade to the front part of the all-new NIO ES8 is the addition of a 230L front trunk.

In terms of interior, the 12.8-inch vertical central control screen has been replaced with a 15.6-inch horizontal screen and a through-type sky screen similar to the ET9. It also features a column shifter, an additional ceiling screen for the second row, and comes standard with a refrigerator, among other features.

In terms of power, the all-new NIO ES8 utilizes an all-domain 900V high-voltage platform, with the front motor having a maximum power of 180kW and the rear motor having a maximum power of 340kW, delivering a combined maximum power of 520kW and a peak torque of 700Nm. It can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.97 seconds. The battery capacity is 102kWh, offering a range of 635km, with an energy consumption of 16.6 kWh per 100km, and can charge 250km in 5 minutes.

In terms of intelligent driving, the hardware is equipped with the Shenji NX9031 chip, offering computing power exceeding 1000 TOPS, 3 LiDAR sensors, 1 4D millimeter-wave radar, etc. On the system side, it features the NIO World Model (NWM), which enables point-to-point full-domain navigation assistance, including scenarios such as campuses and parking lots, urban roads, and energy replenishment scenes.

The new NIO ES8 features front and rear five-link suspension, and is equipped with dual-chamber air suspension and CDC variable damping shock absorbers. Additionally, it comes with NIO's pioneering 4D intelligent comfort navigation and smart slope leveling function, with a minimum turning radius of 5.7 meters.

The all-new NIO ES8 not only has enhanced product strength but also introduced a stunning price, giving NIO, which is in deep trouble, a glimmer of hope to overcome its difficulties.

The significance of NIO ES8 for NIO.

Whether it's the first-generation model from 8 years ago or the third generation 8 years later, the ES8 has always held extraordinary significance for the NIO brand; it is NIO's "totem."

On one hand, it was the first three-row pure electric SUV in the country, as well as the first Chinese brand pure electric SUV priced over 500,000 yuan at that time. It can be said that it was the decisive model that established NIO's high-end positioning.

On the other hand, with the launch of the all-new ES8, for NIO, which is currently in the countdown phase of sprinting towards profitability in the fourth quarter, although the main sales force will still focus on the two main brand SUVs, "5566" and "Le Dao," at least we can see from it which technological cards NIO will play in upcoming competitions against its rivals.

Who are the competitors of the all-new NIO ES8?

From the perspectives of sales, positioning, and pricing, the primary competitors of the all-new NIO ES8 will still be the Aito M8, Aito M9, and Li Auto L9. Among these, the Li Auto L9 can be seen as the benchmark product for family-oriented large six-seat SUVs. The Aito M8 is a phenomenal product with an average price of around 400,000 yuan and monthly sales exceeding 20,000 units, while the Aito M9 is the best-selling model with an average price above 500,000 yuan. In the face of these three products that fully emphasize family and business attributes, the all-new NIO ES8 appears to be a vehicle that is suitable for both business and family use. Its more comprehensive overall product strength may be the core competitiveness that helps it stand out.

Of course, if we refer to the battery leasing price of the all-new ES8, its price would be closer to that of the Li Auto i8 and Tesla Model YL. Although the all-new ES8 holds a significant advantage in terms of product strength, the Li Auto i8 and Tesla Model YL basically meet the essential needs (such as space, range, energy replenishment, and intelligence) of most consumers. Additionally, the NIO ES8 does not have an advantage in terms of usage costs (monthly battery rental price), which might also influence consumer choices.

One of the biggest advantages of the NIO brand is its battery swap technology, which is as convenient as refueling a gasoline vehicle. Therefore, the new NIO ES8's battery swapping function can alleviate the range and charging anxiety associated with pure electric vehicles. Additionally, its 900V high-voltage platform enables excellent charging speeds.

More importantly, as of September 20th, NIO has built 8,246 battery swap and charging stations nationwide, including 3,500 battery swap stations and 4,746 charging stations. They have established a high-speed battery swap network consisting of 9 vertical and 11 horizontal routes and 16 major city clusters, with 1,001 highway battery swap stations. This network connects major cities across the country, linking 550 cities. Additionally, NIO has achieved county-level battery swap accessibility in Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Macau, Tianjin, and Chongqing.

The history of NIO ES8: The first electric vehicle to complete three generations of updates.

In 2025, NIO celebrates its 11th anniversary. Looking back over these 11 years, NIO's brand journey has been full of stories—from the ambitious beginnings of its founding, through the tough times facing crises during its development, to the successful launch of the third-generation ES8.

In 2017, NIO officially launched the first generation of the ES8 model. As NIO's first mass-produced vehicle, it caused a market sensation with its high-end luxury design, battery swapping mode, intelligent assistant NOMI, and queen co-driver among other product highlights. Impressively, its price at the time ranged from 448,000 to 548,000 RMB, marking it as a pioneer in the high-end domestic vehicle market. Moreover, starting deliveries in mid-2018, it delivered over 11,000 units by the end of the year, showcasing a strong market performance.

At the end of 2022, the second-generation ES8 was officially launched. After upgrading to the NT2.0 platform, its body size was further increased, offering only a 6-seat version. It also introduced an executive center console for the first time to enhance the sense of luxury for second-row passengers. Although its product strength remains strong, the price has also increased to 498,000 to 598,000 yuan. During the initial delivery phase, it maintained an impressive average of around 2,000 units per month.

However, the good times did not last long. The market soon welcomed two strong competitors focusing on extended-range technology, the Li Auto L9 (2022) and the AITO M9 (2023). Under the dual pressure, the second generation NIO ES8 was unable to continue the success of its predecessor, and its market performance and influence gradually declined.

The third-generation model of the NIO ES8 has seen a significant enhancement in product strength and is nearly 100,000 yuan cheaper than before, with the starting price dropping below 300,000 yuan, greatly improving its competitiveness.

In Conclusion

As everyone knows, NIO's biggest challenge this year is to achieve the goal of profitability in the fourth quarter. For NIO, which aims to achieve profitability in Q4, the all-new NIO ES8 will play a pivotal role. Although the official order number has not been released, relevant information indicates that the number of pre-orders for the all-new NIO ES8 has already exceeded 100,000 units. In any case, this time, the all-new NIO ES8 has truly succeeded!