The landscape of China’s large new-energy SUV market shifted quietly in May. NIO Inc. emerged as the biggest winner, dominating the rankings with four models — the NIO ES8, NIO ES9, ONVO L80 and ONVO L90. Among them, the third-gen ES8 sold 11,472 units, extending its streak of monthly sales above 10,000 units to seven consecutive months, while the ES9 delivered 3,108 units just three days after launch. In contrast, the AITO M9 — long the dominant player in China’s premium SUV segment above RMB 500,000 ($73,700) — was absent from the top 10 altogether. AITO relied solely on the M8, which ranked fifth with 5,109 deliveries, though both month-on-month and year-on-year declines highlighted growing pressure. As one of the strongest challengers to the AITO M9 over the past six months, the Zeekr 9X ranked second with 9,058 units. However, it is about to face a wave of competition from the new-generation AITO M9, Li L9 and NIO ES9. Two unexpected players also stood out in the rankings. The Leapmotor D19 surged to third place in its first full month on sale, leveraging aggressive pricing in the RMB 200,000-300,000 ($29,500-$44,200) range and premium features. Meanwhile, the Volkswagen ID.ERA 9X doubled its monthly sales, emerging as a promising premium EV contender for Volkswagen in the new-energy era. Despite receiving more than 10,000 firm orders, the new-generation Li L9 landed at the bottom of the chart with only 2,570 deliveries due to its delivery ramp-up schedule. Competition in the large new-energy SUV segment is every bit as intense as the broader SUV market. These models often embody a brand’s strongest technologies, market positioning, brand influence and product vision — making the battle even fiercer. How long can the NIO ES8 maintain its dominance? And how will the Zeekr 9X respond as the new AITO M9, NIO ES9 and Li L9 gather momentum? Let’s take a closer look. No. 1 NIO ES8: 11,472 Units The third-generation NIO ES8 has claimed the large SUV sales crown for six consecutive months. In May, the NIO ES8 sold 11,472 units, down 11.9% month-on-month. NIO ES8 However, compared with just 839 units a year earlier, it remained the overall large SUV sales leader across all powertrains and marked its seventh straight month with sales above 10,000 units. From the start of deliveries on Sept. 21, 2025, through May 23, 2026, the third-generation ES8 has accumulated more than 110,000 deliveries, making it arguably NIO’s most successful model to date. Recently, a screenshot circulating online purportedly showed comments from Yang Bo, NIO assistant vice president and head of user operations, suggesting cumulative ES8 deliveries would surpass 120,000 units in June. If accurate, this could indicate the model will continue posting monthly sales above 10,000 units, with order intake remaining healthy. At the same time, the launch of the higher-positioned NIO ES9 has further elevated market attention on the NIO brand and may attract some buyers who were previously considering the ES8. No. 2 Zeekr 9X: 9,058 Units After the seasonal slowdown at the beginning of the year, the Zeekr 9X has returned to the 9,000-10,000 unit monthly sales range. In May, the Zeekr 9X sold 9,058 units, down 2.8% month-on-month, while extending its reign as the top-selling RMB 500,000 ($73,700)-plus large SUV for seven consecutive months, ending the long-standing dominance of the AITO M9. Zeekr 9X On May 11, Zeekr began rolling out its OTA 7.2 update, adding features such as automatic toll-lane entry at staffed booths, gesture summon, map-free campus navigation and forward roof-scrape protection, further enhancing the flagship SUV’s driver-assistance capabilities. Separately, Zeekr announced on May 12 that the 9X is scheduled to begin overseas expansion in the third quarter of 2026, entering the Middle East and Central Asia starting in September before expanding into Europe in the fourth quarter. However, the competitive landscape is becoming more crowded. The new-generation AITO M9 began initial deliveries on June 13, while the Li L9 started deliveries in mid-May and the NIO ES9 launched and entered delivery in late May. Zeekr’s leadership in the RMB 500,000 ($73,700) large SUV segment is set to face serious challenges. No. 3 Leapmotor D19: 7,021 Units In its first full month on the market, the Leapmotor D19 saw both sales and ranking improve, climbing to third place in the large new-energy SUV rankings. In May, the Leapmotor D19 sold 7,021 units, up 57.6% month-on-month. Leapmotor D19 Earlier, on May 1, Leapmotor disclosed that the D19 had received more than 15,000 firm orders within 15 days of launch, reflecting strong market interest. The D19 is the only model priced between RMB 200,000 and RMB 300,000 ($29,500-$44,200) to break into the top three of the large new-energy SUV segment, giving the new D-series a promising start. Yet competition remains intense, with the launches of the ONVO L80 and Xpeng GX testing the model’s resilience. The question now is whether key features such as its 80.3 kWh EREV battery pack, claimed 1,000V charging architecture, dual-chamber air suspension and three LiDAR sensors can continue to support its competitiveness. No. 4 ONVO L80: 5,949 Units NIO’s second model on the list is the ONVO L80, which launched on May 15. ONVO L80 The ONVO L80 sold 5,949 units in May. Since adopting a strategy of pre-production before launch and immediate deliveries upon release, NIO has consistently seen strong performance from newly launched vehicles during their first two months on sale. Sharing the same dimensions as the ONVO L90 while being priced more than RMB 20,000 ($2,950) lower — both in standard and BaaS pricing — the L80 caters to five-seat family buyers seeking space and comfort. Combined deliveries of the L80 and L90 exceeded 10,000 units in May, making them twin pillars of the ONVO brand. Even so, as NIO’s mainstream-market brand, ONVO still faces pressure to achieve higher sales volumes. No. 5 AITO M8: 5,109 Units With the AITO M9 absent from the top 10, the AITO M8 carried the brand’s presence in the large SUV rankings. In May, the AITO M8 sold 5,109 units, down 57.8% year-on-year and 25.8% month-on-month, reflecting mounting pressure. AITO M8 Since launching in mid-April 2025, the AITO M8 had maintained monthly sales between 10,000 and 20,000 units, peaking at 21,537 units in July 2025. However, sales fell below 10,000 units in 2026 and have trended downward amid volatility. Competition from models such as the NIO ES8 and Zeekr 8X, along with the prospect of an upcoming annual refresh, appears to have created a bottleneck for the M8. Will AITO launch an updated M8 later this year, equipping the lineup with 896-line LiDAR while improving range and charging efficiency to strengthen its competitiveness? The market will be watching closely. No. 6 ID.ERA 9X: 5,004 Units Volkswagen’s new-energy vehicles have now appeared in the rankings for two consecutive months. In May, the SAIC Volkswagen ID.ERA 9X sold 5,004 units, surging 115.1% from April. ID.ERA 9X For Volkswagen, which has struggled repeatedly in China’s EV market in recent years, this result is undoubtedly encouraging. Volkswagen’s long-standing expertise in driving dynamics and powertrains, combined with Chinese teams’ understanding of intelligent features and comfort — along with competitive pricing — helped the ID.ERA 9X secure 11,079 locked-in orders within one hour of its April 25 launch. While this falls short of some top-selling startups, it nonetheless represents an important breakthrough for Volkswagen. As China’s EV market matures, many consumers still trust traditional joint-venture brands or remain neutral toward new entrants. Can the ID.ERA 9X continue to capture this audience — and perhaps even overcome lingering skepticism toward joint-venture EVs? That remains an open question. No. 7 ONVO L90: 4,052 Units The ONVO L90, which received a 2026 model-year update in April, saw sales recover. In May, the ONVO L90 sold 4,052 units, up 96.1% month-on-month. ONVO L90 However, this still trails the model’s early performance in 2025, when monthly sales consistently exceeded 10,000 units. The 2026 ONVO L90 introduced upgrades including the Shenji NX9031 chip with LiDAR fusion perception, standard air suspension with CDC dampers across the range, and rear entertainment screens plus zero-gravity seats on Max+ and Ultra trims. However, now that the L80 addresses demand for a similarly sized five-seat SUV, can the updated L90 return to its former peak of 10,000 monthly sales? No. 8 Huajing S: 3,603 Units The Huajing S is the most affordable model in this month’s large SUV top 10. Priced between RMB 159,800 ($23,600) and RMB 203,800 ($30,100), the Huajing S sold 3,603 units in May. Huajing S This flagship six-seat SUV — jointly developed by SAIC-GM-Wuling and Huawei Qiankun — launched on May 8 and comes standard with Huawei Qiankun ADS Pro Enhanced driver assistance and HarmonyOS Cockpit 5 across the lineup. With a body length exceeding 5.2 meters and pricing in the RMB 150,000 ($22,100) range, its value proposition and advanced driver-assistance features helped it secure more than 30,000 orders within five days of launch. Sales may continue rising in the coming months. No. 9 NIO ES9: 3,108 Units This is NIO’s fourth and final model to enter the large new-energy SUV top 10 in May. Just four days after launch, the NIO ES9 sold 3,108 units. NIO ES9 In addition, NIO Vice Presidents Ma Lin and Yang Bo indicated that the model is expected to reach its 10,000th delivery milestone this month. Measuring more than 5.3 meters in length, the ES9 is built on a full-domain 900V architecture and offers up to 600 km of CLTC range. All variants except the Executive Luxury Edition come standard with SkyRide active suspension. Combined with a BaaS price reduction of RMB 108,000 ($15,900), the model has attracted many high-end buyers. While its launch-and-delivery strategy has produced an eye-catching debut, the ES9’s long-term competitiveness remains to be tested as rivals such as the Li L9, AITO M9 and Zeekr 9X regain momentum. No. 10 Li L9: 2,570 Units Rounding out this month’s large new-energy SUV rankings is the Li L9, the model carrying Li Auto’s hopes for a major L-series renewal. Launched on May 15, the new-generation Li L9 sold 2,570 units within half a month. Against the backdrop of fierce competition, this result was not particularly impressive. Li L9 However, delivery timing may be a key factor. Both Li Auto’s May delivery report and first-quarter earnings call noted that the Li L9 Livis received more than 10,000 firm orders within two weeks of launch. The Livis variant accounted for 90% of orders, while the Ultra version made up the remaining 10%, underscoring strong premium demand. Amid market scrutiny of the L-series refresh and debates over 48V integrated suspension versus 800V split suspension systems, the new Li L9 failed to achieve the blockbuster start many had expected. Yet with Li Auto’s upcoming Livis Day providing deeper explanations of its technologies, alongside broader marketing efforts, could the Li L9 emerge as a late-stage challenger? The answer may become clearer in the months ahead.
