- NIO has launched the ES9 in China, with deliveries starting on 28 May 2026.
- The six-seat flagship SUV offers up to 620km of range, 900V charging and three-minute battery swapping.
- China pricing starts from RMB 498,000 or around NZ$129K.
Chinese EV maker NIO, which plans to enter the New Zealand market this year, has officially launched the ES9, its new flagship executive SUV for China, with first deliveries rolling out now.
The six-seat model sits at the top of NIO's SUV line-up and is aimed squarely at buyers wanting limousine-style rear-seat comfort with electric performance and the brand's battery-swapping technology.
Pricing starts at RMB 498,000 (around NZ$129,000) for the Executive Premium, rising to RMB 558,000 (NZ$144,600) for the Executive Signature and RMB 628,000 (NZ$162, 800) for the Horizon Edition.
With NIO's Battery-as-a-Service model, those entry prices fall to RMB 390,000, RMB 450,000 and RMB 520,000 respectively (NZ$101,100 to NZ$134,800).
"As the culmination of NIO's 11-year systemic innovation, the NIO ES9 created the smart electric flagship executive SUV category, setting a new benchmark in the segment," said William Li.
Built around space and comfort
The ES9 is a very large SUV, measuring 5365mm long with a 3250mm wheelbase. NIO says the cabin itself is 2805mm long, with more than 1.5m of second-row legroom.
The layout is focused on six-seat executive travel, led by second-row zero-gravity executive seats with 42-point massage. Other cabin features include array-based liquid crystal smart dimming windows, dual 16-inch executive screens and a 47-speaker, 3020W LYRA audio system.
Practicality has not been ignored either. NIO quotes 816 litres of storage space, plus a separate 216-litre front boot.
Fast charging, swapping and performance
Under the skin, the ES9 uses a 900V electrical architecture and supports 5C fast charging. It is also compatible with NIO's battery-swapping network, with the company claiming a three-minute battery swap time.
Range is listed at up to 620km, while performance is suitably brisk for such a large vehicle: NIO claims 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds.
The ES9 also uses a 48V integrated hydraulic fully active suspension system, rear-wheel steering and a 5.4m turning radius. Smart-driving hardware includes a 5nm NX9031 chip and 31 sensing units.
NIO says it plans to add more than 1000 new Power Swap Stations this year, with fifth-generation stations due from the third quarter.
