High-end Nio ET8/Nio ET9 sedan could be the big surprise at Nio Day 2023

Update: ‘Confirmation’ section added.

First emerging in 2014, Chinese automaker Nio has wholly focused on designing and making premium electric vehicles, with its headquarters in Shanghai, China. Approaching half a million in cumulative sales, with 415,623 units sold as of October 31, 2023, Nio is now apparently eyeing expansion into new markets and segments. Recent reports suggest that Nio is developing a new “ultra-premium” model and plans to showcase it at Nio Day 2023.

Confirmation

During the company’s Q3 2023 earnings conference call on December 5, 2023, Nio Founder, Chairman & CEO William Bin Li confirmed that the company would unveil its new flagship model at the Nio Day 2023.

As I have mentioned earlier today, at the Nio Day 2023, we are going to unveil a brand new flagship model, and this car will be equipped with a lot of state-of-the-art technologies that are leading the entire automotive industry.

Nio Founder, Chairman & CEO William Bin Li during Nio’s Q3 2023 Earnings Conference Call on December 5, 2023

Positioning

While Nio hasn’t disclosed details regarding its upcoming car, there’s a probability that it could be christened as either “ET8” or “ET9”. AutoHome (via CNEVPost) reported on December 14, 2022, that a company insider conveyed to the publication that the new model will take shape as a luxury sedan. Since the current top-tier sedan from Nio is the ET7, it would make sense for the automaker to name its upcoming model the Nio ET8 or Nio ET9.

According to Chinese car reviewer Sean from YouTube channel Telescope望远镜, the rumored Nio ET8/Nio ET9 will be more spacious than the ES8 SUV, the brand’s current flagship, and the ET7 sedan.

Specifications

The upcoming flagship sedan will be an NT3 platform-based EV with a wheelbase of 3.3 meters or 129.9 in, adds Telescope. For reference, the ES8’s wheelbase measures 3,010 mm or 118.5 inches, while the ET7 sedan’s wheelbase comes in at 3,060 mm or 120.4 inches.

The ET8/ET9’s battery pack will reportedly be swappable only at the third-gen Power Swap Station (PSS), not the first- or second-gen PSS. Nio may use a combination of its new-generation 300 kW motor in this electric luxo-barge.

According to an August 2022 article by CnEVPost, Bin Li supposedly admitted the brand’s intentions for a “9-series model” in a vehicle owners’ Weibo chat group. In Chinese culture, the number 9 represents the highest rank or grade. This raises the question; would the new car be called the Nio ET9? The company insider also cited that the model was already in its design phase.

Rivals

It can be said that the ET7 sedan has a competitor in the Tesla Model S. Naturally, the upcoming Nio ET8/Nio ET9 sits higher up in the model hierarchy. In fact, the insider claims that Nio is aiming to create a luxury sedan that can take on an already established marque such as the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The top configurations of the Mercedes EQS and the BMW i7 limo could be its potential rivals.

Price & Release Date

A report CarNewsChina published on November 20, 2023, indicates that the rumored Nio ET8/Nio ET9 will debut at Nio Day 2023, which will take place in Xi’an, China, in December 2023. Sean from YouTube channel Telescope望远镜 says its launch (presumably in China) will take place in 2025. Nio’s flagship luxury sedan is expected to be priced at over CNY 1 million (or USD 141,181). The company may launch its Mercedes-Maybach S-Class rival in its overseas markets a few months after the domestic release.

Featured Image: Nio