NIO released the second-generation ES6 in May. Despite being compact in size, NIO is seeing big results from the new electric SUV.
The EV maker announced in a press release on Tuesday that it delivered a record 20,462 vehicles in July, up 103.6% YOY and 91.1% from June. NIO credited the new ES6 for its success, which set a new monthly delivery record exceeding 10,000 units.
Through the first seven months of the year, NIO delivered 75,023 electric vehicles, bringing its cumulative total to 364,579.
The new ES6 is regarded as arguably NIO’s most important model yet. As a more affordable alternative to the ES8, the ES6 has been NIO’s primary seller since deliveries began in late 2019.
Although NIO was China’s only major EV maker to see sales decline monthly in May, the ES6 is already sparking demand.
After launching the ES6, NIO received nearly 30,000 pre-orders in three days, setting a new YTD order intake record, according to a research report from Chinese consumer behavior research agency CarFans.
The new ES6 is based on NIO’s NT 2.0 EV platform with enhanced ADAS powered by the NIO Adam supercomputer using four Nvidia DRIVE Orin system-on-chips (SoCs).
NIO’s flagship stores saw overall traffic rise 30% to 40% month-to-month, with momentum continuing into early June.
The new ET5 is NIO’s cheapest electric SUV, starting at RMB 368,000 ($51,600) for the 75 kWh version. The 100 kWh battery model costs RMB 426,000 ($59,300), while the battery as a service (BaaS) option is RMB 298,000 ($41,500).
The ES6 wasn’t the only factor that drove NIO to a new delivery record in July.
The EV maker also slashed prices on all models by 30,000 RMB $(4,200) in early June, following market leaders like BYD and Tesla.
NIO also launched its first electric station wagon in June, the ET5 Touring, developed for the European market. The ET5 Touring is expected to compete with BMW and Porsche on its home turf.
ET5 deliveries began in China in mid-June and will start in Europe by the end of the year as NIO expands its brand overseas.
