Gasgoo Munich- On November 11, NIO Inc. delivered the 40,000th ES9.
Data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows the ES9 has held the top spot in the 500,000-yuan pure electric segment for five consecutive months through October. Deliveries began on May 28. The model hit the 20,000-unit mark in just 73 days by July, and reached 30,000 by September in 119 days—setting new delivery benchmarks in this niche twice over.
Image source: NIO
Surveys of early ES9 buyers reveal that over 48% of trade-ins came from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Land Rover. More than 36% are corporate administrative users who already owned an average of 2.2 vehicles, with nearly 70% purchasing a NIO for the first time.
This performance is anchored by its pricing position. The ES9 retails between 498,000 and 628,000 yuan, dropping to 390,000 yuan with the Battery-as-a-Service option. NIO's main brand has kept its average transaction price above 400,000 yuan this year—a segment traditionally dominated by the German luxury trio.
The broader market provides the context. CPCA data indicates retail sales of pure internal combustion engine passenger cars plunged 51% year-on-year in October, while the retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles climbed to 67.5%. In the third quarter, NIO's cumulative sales in China reached 111,638 units—surpassing the combined total of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi for the first time.
The shift in the landscape is measured on a longer scale. CPCA data shows that in 2018, the three German giants commanded nearly 70% of China's premium market; this year, their share has fallen below 40%. Beating them in quarterly sales is just one intersection—the real trend is the migration of market share.
