With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.
NIO Delivers the 50,000th Unit of the All-New ES8
• Who: NIO
• What: Delivery volume of the all-new NIO ES8 surpassed 50,000 units.
• When: January 18 (official announcement).
• How fast:
▪ The milestone was reached 120 days after deliveries officially began.
▪ On December 29, 2025, the model exceeded 40,000 deliveries on the 100th day after delivery launch, meaning the increase from 40,000 to 50,000 units took less than one month.
• Product launch: The all-new NIO ES8, a full-electric SUV, officially went on sale on September 20, 2025.
• Pricing:
▪ Vehicle purchase price: 406,800 yuan–446,800 yuan.
▪ With BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) battery rental plan: starting price reduced to 298,800 yuan.
• Positioning & features:
▪ Flagship SUV of the NIO brand.
▪ Comprehensive upgrades in product capability.
▪ Interior emphasizes both technology and luxury, featuring the Skyline display, a floating central control screen, and the latest upgraded NOMI in-car AI system with improved intelligence and interaction.
Apollo Go Launches Fully Driverless Commercial Operations in Abu Dhabi
• Who: Apollo Go (Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service) and UAE autonomous mobility company AutoGo.
• What: Official launch of fully driverless commercial autonomous ride-hailing services for the public.
• When: January 17.
• Where: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• Significance:
▪ This marks Apollo Go's first overseas deployment of fully driverless autonomous ride-hailing services open to the public.
• How the service works:
▪ Residents and tourists can hail fully driverless vehicles via the AutoGo App.
▪ Initial operations start on Yas Island, with plans to gradually expand to more areas of Abu Dhabi.
• Context:
▪ Yas Island is a major Middle Eastern resort destination, home to attractions such as Ferrari World and Warner Bros. theme park.
▪ The service is expected to support upgrades in smart mobility and tourism experience in the area.
Black Sesame Technologies and COSCO Shipping Launch Intelligent Ship Inspection Robot Project
• Who:
▪ Black Sesame Technologies
▪ Qingdao COSCO Shipping Smart Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited
• What: Joint launch of a marine embodied-intelligence inspection robot project.
• When: January 15, with the signing of a formal cooperation agreement.
• Purpose:
▪ Address intelligent inspection needs in complex deep-sea and ocean-going vessel environments.
• Key focus areas:
▪ Development of embodied intelligent robot systems.
▪ Edge-side intelligent control platforms.
▪ Perception and decision-making algorithms.
• How:
▪ Deep integration of computing power, algorithms, and real-world maritime scenarios.
▪ Promote the engineering and real-world deployment of embodied intelligence in high-complexity, high-reliability industrial scenarios.
• Broader collaboration:
▪ The project will involve universities, research institutions, and ecosystem partners.
▪ Joint efforts will cover algorithm research, system integration, and scenario validation, accelerating the closed-loop transition from R&D to practical application.
