On August 21st, the all – new NIO ES8 was officially launched, with its pre – sale prices announced. A total of three models are available. For the 6 – seat Executive Luxury Edition and 7 – seat Executive Luxury Edition, the pre – sale price for the whole vehicle purchase starts at 416,800 yuan, and the price for the vehicle with battery rental (BaaS) starts at 308,800 yuan. For the 6 – seat Executive Signature Edition, the pre – sale price for the whole vehicle purchase starts at 456,800 yuan, and the battery rental option starts at 348,800 yuan. It is learned that the all – new NIO ES8 is built on the NT3.0 platform, and its overall product strength has been comprehensively improved compared with the previous – generation ES8. Not only is the body size larger, but also the comfort configurations and technological features have been significantly upgraded. For reference, the price range of the current NIO ES8 is 498,000 – 598,000 yuan.
In terms of exterior design, the third – generation NIO ES8 has been (fine – tuned) on the basis of the current model. It still adopts the family – style Shark Nose front face design. The shape of the headlight group has been adjusted, with the daytime running lights featuring a segmented design. Moreover, the functions of the headlights have been comprehensively upgraded, supporting 3 sets of welcome light effects, 3 sets of welcome projections and 2 projection light shows. In addition, the (continuous silver trim strip) on the front bumper has moved upward compared with the old model. The layout of the front engine hood has been adjusted, and like the LeDao L90, it is equipped with a front trunk with a volume of 230L, which can hold 2 20 – inch suitcases and 2 backpacks. In terms of body colors, the currently known options include 4 colors: Extreme Night Black, Antarctic Star Blue, Star Wave Gray and Star Green.
On the side of the vehicle body, the third – generation NIO ES8 adopts a two – tone painting, creating a sense of a floating roof. The lower edge of the window features a straight design and is equipped with hidden water cutters. It also comes with hidden door handles, and the exterior rear – view mirror is added with an advanced driving assistance “AD small blue light”. In terms of dimensions, the length, width and height of the third – generation NIO ES8 are 5280/2010/1800mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 3130mm. It offers two interior seat layouts: six – seat and seven – seat. Compared with the current model, the length of the third – generation NIO ES8 has increased by 181mm, the width by 21mm, the height by 50mm, and the wheelbase by 60mm, which will upgrade the interior space performance to a higher level
At the rear, the new model is fitted with a full-width through-type taillight. Composed of 600 LED light sources and 480 SuperRed LED particles, the taillight is further accented with satin-brushed high-gloss trim and brushed metal details.The regular trunk volume is 547L (including 132L of underfloor storage space). Combined with the front trunk (frunk), it can easily accommodate the storage needs of “6 people with 12 suitcases”. Additionally, with different seat folding combinations, the trunk capacity can be expanded to a maximum of 3240L.
tepping inside the cabin, the third-generation NIO ES8 adopts the same design language as the NIO ET9. High-end materials such as real wood trim and Nappa leather are used throughout the interior, creating a luxurious ambiance.The new model is equipped with a 48-inch horizontally spanning Skyline panoramic display and a 16.4-inch AMOLED central control screen. It also features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip and NOMI Mate 3.0, with the in-built SkyOS·Tianshu vehicle-wide operating system that covers multiple domains including vehicle control, intelligent driving, cockpit, and mobile connectivity. Additionally, it offers a 38-inch AR-HUD head-up display system and applies the “Flowing Light Triple Layers” dynamic ambient lighting, which comes with 9 lighting themes.
The third-generation NIO ES8 offers two seating configurations: a 2+2+2 6-seat layout and a 2+3+2 7-seat layout.For the 6-seat version, it is equipped with three zero-gravity seats in total—one for the front passenger and two in the second row. The maximum recline angle of the front seat backrest is 180°, while that of the second-row seat backrest is 151°, and the third-row seat backrest can recline up to 130°. The second-row seats support 26-way adjustment, with the right seat featuring a 150mm lateral sliding function. In addition to seat heating, ventilation, and massage functions, they also come with armrest heating and seat cushion airbags.
Furthermore, the second row of the new model is equipped with a 21.4-inch MINI LED rear entertainment screen and an 8.8L on-board refrigerator. The on-board refrigerator supports a temperature control range of -2°C to 55°C, with electric opening and remote control capabilities. Additional amenities include a vanity mirror, retractable cup holders, and foldable tables.The 7-seat version is equally well-equipped, with heating function provided for the center seats
In terms of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the third-generation NIO ES8 is equipped with a total of 31 perception components, including lidars, a front-view camera, and dual wide-angle lidars mounted on the fenders on both sides. It carries the flagship AQUILA Super Sensing System, which features a long-range front lidar in a “watchtower” layout, dual wide-angle lidars, and 4D imaging radars. Its ADAS hardware aligns with that of the NIO ET9. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with NIO’s self-developed Shenji NX9031 ADAS chip and will apply the NIO World Model (NWM).
In terms of power, the all-new NIO ES8 adopts a full-domain 900V high-voltage platform and is equipped with a dual-motor four-wheel drive system. The front axle is fitted with an inductive asynchronous motor with a maximum power of 180kW, while the rear axle is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 340kW, resulting in a combined output power of 520kW.It comes with a power battery pack of 100kWh, offering a driving range of 635km. The vehicle supports a maximum charging rate of 5C, enabling it to add 250km of driving range with just 5 minutes of charging.
As NIO’s first-ever model and its current flagship SUV on sale, the NIO ES8 holds an extremely high position in the brand’s history. Positioned as NIO’s flagship SUV, it is currently the largest-sized SUV under the NIO brand.On December 16, 2017, the NIO ES8 was officially launched in Beijing. Positioned as a high-performance 7-seat pure electric mid-to-large SUV, its guided price range before subsidies was RMB 448,000 – 548,000. At the 2022 NIO DAY, NIO officially launched the second-generation ES8, with the new model’s price range set at RMB 528,000 – 638,000.As a high-priced flagship SUV, the NIO ES8 has delivered only modest market performance. From January to July 2025, its cumulative sales reached a mere 4,199 units, with monthly sales falling below 500 units. The recently unveiled third-generation model features an all-new exterior and interior design, along with upgrades in intelligence and configurations, and adopts a full-domain 900V high-voltage architecture. However, despite its strong product specifications, it may not become a “volume-driven” model for NIO, primarily due to pricing considerations.
According to NIO’s official website, the brand currently offers a total of 9 models, including sedans (ET7, ET5/ET5T, ET9) and SUVs (ES6, ES7, ES8, EC6, EC7). This makes NIO the new energy vehicle (NEV) startup with the most extensive product lineup. However, the diverse product range has not translated into strong sales performance for NIO. From January to May 2025, the company delivered a total of 94,800 new vehicles, representing a year-on-year increase of 41.2%.Previously, NIO’s founder Li Bin set a 2025 sales target of 440,000 units. This target was proposed based on the 220,000 units sold in 2024, aiming to achieve a 100% year-on-year growth (doubling the sales volume). During an earnings call, Li Bin stated that the company aims to achieve monthly sales of 50,000 units in the fourth quarter, with the NIO brand and LeDao brand each contributing 25,000 units respectively.
