Nio hits 20,000 deliveries for 3rd-gen ES8 SUV

Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO, HKG: 9866) delivered its 20,000th third-generation ES8 today, 70 days after the large electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) model was launched.

Nio officially launched the third-generation ES8 at Nio Day 2025 on September 20, with deliveries commencing the following day on September 21.

The three-row electric SUV offers six- and seven-seat configurations, making it one of Nio's most expensive models.

Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li pledged during the third-generation ES8 launch event that production capacity for the model would reach about 40,000 units this year.

On the second day after the new ES8's launch, its 2025 production capacity sold out, extending delivery wait times into 2026.

Nio delivered a record40,397 vehicles in October, with the ES8 accounting for 6,703 units --making it the top-selling Nio-brand model that month.

Nio management said during an earning call on November 25 that the ES8's delivery target this year is 40,000 units, with the majority slated for the fourth quarter.

To meet this delivery target, Nio will need to deliver about 20,000 third-generation ES8s in December.

During the second-quarter earnings call on September 2, Nio management indicated that the all-new ES8 would reach a monthly production capacity of 15,000 units in December.

At the 2025 Guangzhou auto show starting November 21, Nio's vice president of product marketing Kang Kai told local automotive media Auto Home that the target is to achieve 20,000 units of ES8 production capacity in December.

During Nio's November 25 earnings call, the company projected fourth-quarter vehicle margin to rise to about 18 percent, up from 14.7 percent in the third quarter, with the ES8's gross margin expected to exceed 20 percent.

This significant improvement stems primarily from a favorable product mix, particularly the substantial increase in high-margin ES8 deliveries, Nio management said.