The 2026 NIO ES9 is the brand's largest, most luxurious electric SUV yet — a 5.36-metre flagship that opened pre-orders on April 9, 2026 with first deliveries scheduled for late May. What makes it more interesting than rival flagships at this size is NIO's signature Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) pricing path: outright purchase starts at RMB 528,000 (~$77,000), but with the battery rented through NIO's subscription, the entry price drops to about RMB 420,000 (~$61,320) — a remarkable $15,000+ saved upfront for buyers willing to pay a monthly battery fee. The drivetrain is a 697 hp dual-motor AWD setup pulling power from a 102 kWh CATL NMC battery on a 900V architecture, with CLTC range options of 580 / 600 / 620 / 635 km depending on configuration. Three trims headline the lineup — Executive Luxury, Executive Signature, and the limited Horizon Special — with the top trim closing the price ladder at $96,100 ($80,300 with BaaS). And of course, all of that pairs with NIO's battery-swap network: 3-5 minutes to a full pack at any of the brand's 2,500+ swap stations across China.
Performance & Specs
The ES9 runs a dual-motor AWD setup: a 180 kW (245 PS) induction motor up front and a 340 kW (462 PS) permanent-magnet synchronous motor at the rear, totalling 520 kW (697 hp) and 700 Nm of torque. That's enough to fire a 5.36-metre, 2.6-tonne luxury SUV from zero to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, with electronically governed top speed at 220 km/h. Air suspension with rear-wheel steering is standard across the range, neutralising what would otherwise be a sluggish turning circle for a vehicle this size. Brakes use 4-piston calipers up front (NIO's own design, with optional Brembo upgrade), and 22-inch Pirelli 275/45 R22 tyres are standard.
| POWERTRAIN TYPE | BEV (dual-motor AWD) |
|---|---|
| HORSEPOWER | 697 hp (520 kW total) |
| TORQUE | 700 Nm |
| ACCELERATION 0-100 | 4.3 s |
| TOP SPEED | 220 km/h |
| DRIVETRAIN | AWD (180 kW front + 340 kW rear) |
| BATTERY | 102 kWh CATL NMC |
| RANGE (CLTC) | 580 / 600 / 620 / 635 km — by configuration |
| 0-100 KM/H | 4.3 seconds (0-100 km/h) |
| SEATS | 6 |
Dimensions & Practicality
| Length | 5,365 mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 2,029 mm |
| Height | 1,870 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,250 mm |
| Ground clearance | ~170 mm |
At 5,365 mm long with a 3,250 mm wheelbase, the ES9 is bigger than a Mercedes-Benz GLS or BMW X7, sitting closer to the Cadillac Escalade in pure footprint. The cabin is laid out as a six-seater 2+2+2, with executive captain's chairs in the second row featuring massage, ventilation and electric leg rests. The third row offers genuine adult-friendly space thanks to the wheelbase and a flat floor. Boot space behind the third row stretches to about 477 litres, expanding to 1,586 litres with the rear seats folded electrically. A massive 216-litre frunk under the front clamshell hood is among the largest in any production SUV — usable for the charge cables, a full-size suitcase, or the sort of casual luggage other SUVs leave on the rear bench.
| LENGTH | 5,365 mm |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | 2,029 mm |
| HEIGHT | 1,870 mm |
| WHEELBASE | 3,250 mm |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | ~170 mm |
| CARGO VOLUME | 477 L (1,586 L seats folded) |
| FRUNK | 216 L |
| SEAT LAYOUT | 6 (2+2+2 captain's chairs) |
| WHEELS / TYRES | 22-inch alloys / 275/45 R22 Pirelli |
Charging & Battery
The ES9 runs on NIO's 900-volt high-voltage architecture, with a 102 kWh CATL NMC battery pack standard across all trims. DC fast charging peaks at around 600 kW on a compatible NIO PowerSwap 4.0 charger, taking the pack from 10 to 80 percent in roughly 12 minutes. AC charging is rated at 11 kW. But the headline charging story for any NIO is the swap network: every ES9 can pull into one of NIO's 2,500+ Battery Swap Stations across China, drop the depleted pack and pick up a fresh one in 3 to 5 minutes — closer to refilling a petrol tank than charging a battery. The BaaS subscription option separates the battery from the vehicle: buyers pay a monthly battery fee and the up-front purchase price drops by about $15,000.
| BATTERY | 102 kWh CATL NMC |
|---|---|
| ARCHITECTURE | 900V |
| AC CHARGING | 11 kW |
| DC FAST CHARGING | up to 600 kW peak — 10-80% in ~12 min |
| BATTERY SWAP | 3-5 min full pack at any NIO PowerSwap station (2,500+ in China) |
Design & Interior
The ES9 takes NIO's family design and stretches it to flagship dimensions. The front fascia uses a now-signature double-decker LED light arrangement with a thin DRL strip on top and the main headlamps below, separated by NIO's continuous "infinity" badge bar. Flush door handles, a panoramic glass roof, and a near-silent close-out characterise the exterior, with hidden side cameras replacing traditional mirrors on the Horizon Special trim. Inside, the dashboard features a wide horizontal display strip running across the full driver and passenger area, paired with a separate central touchscreen and dual rear entertainment screens for the second row. Materials use Italian Vegan Eco-leather (or Nappa on higher trims) with quilted patterns on the second-row captain's chairs, plus Alcantara on the dashboard and headliner. Standard equipment includes a 23-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, an in-armrest refrigerator, and electric soft-close doors for both rows.
Technology & Features
The infotainment runs NIO's latest cockpit OS on Qualcomm Snapdragon silicon, with NOMI — NIO's animated dashboard-mounted AI assistant — handling voice control across the entire cabin. The system supports OTA updates for both the cockpit software and the Aquila ADAS firmware, has a built-in app store and offers cellular connectivity via 5G. Standard equipment includes dual wireless phone chargers, a panoramic head-up display projecting onto the windscreen, and a built-in karaoke function. The Horizon Special trim adds adaptive matrix LED projection lighting, two extra speakers, and a third-row entertainment screen.
Safety & ADAS
NIO's Aquila super-sensing ADAS suite is standard on every ES9 trim. Hardware includes a roof-mounted LiDAR, 7 high-resolution cameras, 4 surround-view cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors and Orin-X compute totalling 1,016 TOPS. The system supports point-to-point Navigate-on-Pilot+ (NOP+) including urban driving, automated parking, and Automatic Emergency Steering up to 130 km/h. Passive safety includes a comprehensive airbag set with full third-row curtain coverage, plus structural reinforcement that targets a five-star C-NCAP rating.
| ADAS LEVEL | L2++ with NOP+ urban autonomy |
|---|---|
| ADAS HARDWARE | 1× roof LiDAR, 7 HD cameras, 5 mmWave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors |
| COMPUTE | 4× NVIDIA Orin-X (1,016 TOPS combined) |
| FEATURES | NOP+ point-to-point, AES at 130 km/h, valet parking, transparent-chassis 360 |
Available Versions
| VERSION | POWER | BATTERY | EV RANGE | PRICE (BUY) | PRICE (BaaS) | KEY DIFFERENCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Luxury | 697 hp | 102 kWh | up to 620 km | ~$77,000 | ~$61,320 | Entry trim, full Aquila ADAS, 22-inch wheels |
| Executive Signature | 697 hp | 102 kWh | up to 635 km | ~$85,900 | ~$70,080 | Adds executive captain's chairs with massage, premium leather, 23-speaker audio |
| Horizon Special (limited) | 697 hp | 102 kWh | up to 635 km | ~$96,100 | ~$80,300 | Camera-mirror system, matrix lighting, third-row entertainment screen |
Pricing & Availability
NIO opened pre-orders for the ES9 on April 9, 2026. Outright purchase pricing in China runs from RMB 528,000 to RMB 668,000 (~$77,000 to ~$96,100). With the BaaS battery subscription, the up-front price drops to RMB 420,000 to RMB 555,000 (~$61,320 to ~$80,300), with a monthly battery fee of around RMB 1,680 ($245). First deliveries are scheduled for late May 2026. International expansion is under discussion through NIO's existing European footprint (Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark) — though no firm timeline has been announced for the ES9 outside China.
How It Compares
Among the premium 6-seat EV crowd, the ES9 stands out on three things: pricing flexibility (BaaS option drops entry to $61,320 — closer to the ZEEKR 9X EREV's $63,910 entry), battery-swap capability (3-5 min vs 12+ min DC charging on rivals), and that 216-litre frunk that no other 6-seater in this segment matches. Versus the tri-motor ZEEKR 9X, the ES9 trades 684 hp of paper performance and EREV flexibility for the swap network and a noticeably more polished interior — NIO is two product generations ahead on cabin software. The AITO M9 EV is the closest spec-for-spec rival on power and range, but lacks both BaaS pricing and battery-swap. The Li Auto MEGA Home offers more range but in a different body shape (large luxury MPV rather than three-row SUV). For buyers who do high-distance highway driving, the ES9's swap network may be the deciding factor — especially with deliveries opening on the same network NIO has already built out for the existing ES8.
- BaaS pricing drops entry to $61,320 — segment-low for a true flagship 6-seater
- Battery swap network: 3-5 minute pack swap at 2,500+ stations beats DC fast charge
- 900V architecture with 12-minute 10-80% fast charging on top
- 216-litre frunk — largest in segment, eliminates the cargo-vs-seven-passengers tradeoff
- Top trim climbs to $96,100 — pushes into Mercedes EQS SUV territory
- NIO export availability outside Europe is currently limited; brand recognition behind ZEEKR/AITO in some markets
- BaaS subscription is China-only at launch; international markets get standard pricing
The ES9 is NIO at its most ambitious — a true flagship that finally lets the brand compete head-on with ZEEKR 9X, AITO M9 and Li Auto's premium offerings. The BaaS option is the value play of the segment, dropping the effective entry price by $15,000+ for buyers willing to subscribe to the battery; for highway-heavy users who can use NIO's swap network, it's also the only six-seater in this class that effectively eliminates charging downtime. The Executive Signature trim is the value sweet spot at $70,080 (BaaS); the Horizon Special is for those who want the matrix lighting, camera mirrors and third-row entertainment as a status statement. With first deliveries opening in late May, the ES9 is the most consequential NIO launch since the original ET9.
