Nio delivered 37,408 vehicles in September, up 7.7% year on year, bringing its first-nine-month total to 300,301 units, a 49.2% increase, according to data released by the company and reported by Chinese outlet Gasgoo. Cumulative deliveries since Nio's founding reached 1,297,893 units by the end of September.
The result was driven by all three of Nio's brands. The flagship Nio brand handed over 21,318 cars in September, while the Onvo brand delivered 8,763 and the Firefly brand 7,327. Over the first nine months, Nio brand deliveries reached 181,988 units, Onvo 70,191 and Firefly 48,122, with all three setting record highs for the period. The multi-brand strategy, spanning different price bands and market segments, appears to be gaining traction.
Nio brand hits 1 million milestone
In the premium segment, the Nio brand completed delivery of its 1,000,000th car on September 21, bringing its cumulative total to 1,011,597 units. The brand's average transaction price remains above 400,000 yuan (about $56,300), and it ranked first in China's market for cars with a starting price above 400,000 yuan from January to August, according to the company.
Model-level data shows the new ES8, on sale for a year, has accumulated over 150,000 deliveries and leads the large-SUV and 400,000-yuan-class segments. The ES9, meanwhile, surpassed 30,000 deliveries in 119 days and has been the best-selling battery-electric model in the 500,000-yuan class for three consecutive months.
Swap network expansion and Geely partnership
Nio also made progress on charging infrastructure in September. On September 26, the company's 4,125th battery-swap station went live at Sayram Lake, completing the Silk Road battery-swap route. The corridor runs from Xi'an in Shaanxi province to Khorgos in Xinjiang, spanning 3,605 kilometres (about 2,240 miles) with 33 swap stations along the way. Nio said that with this route open, customers can start from any swap station in the country and travel by swapping batteries to all provincial-level regions of mainland China.
On September 28, Nio signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with Geely Holding Group covering charging and battery-swap technology, operations and capital. The two companies plan to jointly invest in their respective charging and swapping business entities, share technology and standards, and build a combined service network.
Nio operates one of China's largest battery-swap networks, a service that lets drivers exchange depleted packs for charged ones in about three minutes, competing with fast-charging infrastructure as an alternative refuelling method. The company's multi-brand push, with Onvo targeting the mainstream family market and Firefly aimed at smaller urban cars, is part of its effort to broaden volume beyond the premium Nio brand.
