NIO CEO William Li unveiled the technologically advanced ES9 SUV, launching its event on April 9, aiming for sales leadership. During a three-and-a-half-hour livestream last night on China’s Lantern Festival, NIO CEO William Li described the NIO ES9 as a flagship “technology executive SUV,” calling it the world’s most technologically advanced flagship SUV. NIO’s livestream last night He announced that the model’s technology launch event will be held on April 9. NIO disclosed limited details about the product during the broadcast. When asked about confidence in the ES9, Li Tianshu, Vice President of Product at NIO, said the new model aims to become the sales leader in its segment. Where does that confidence stem from? According to William Li, the ES9 represents the culmination of NIO’s 11 years of technological and experiential development, with a level of maturity surpassing that of the ES8. The new model, equipped with NIO’s most advanced technologies, will feature the NT3.0 platform and the world’s first 5nm automotive-grade chip. This also means that capabilities and configurations anticipated by users—including the Tianxing intelligent chassis integrating steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering and fully active suspension, as well as the Shenji NX9031 chip—will be realized on the ES9. NIO ES9 As a distinctive hallmark of NIO’s NEV positioning, the company continues to advance its assisted driving capabilities, particularly following the rollout of NIO World Model (NWM) 2.0 in January. NIO said the January release of NWM 2.0 marked the first major update of the year. Two additional major versions are scheduled for the second and fourth quarters. The January iteration was designed to lay the foundation and define the technical roadmap to ensure a high ceiling for system capability. William Li stated that NIO will increase investment in computing power and data scale. While prioritizing improvements in active safety, NWM will undergo more intensive training. The next two versions are expected to deliver stronger performance across broader scenarios, finer-grained handling and higher traffic efficiency. One of these updates will integrate Navigate-on-Pilot functions with more than 2,000 battery swap stations, enabling urban navigation-assisted battery swapping and reducing the energy replenishment burden for users. On the voice assistant front, Nomi Intelligent will receive a 4.0 upgrade. Nomi will become “more human-like,” integrate more deeply with intelligent driving scenarios to enhance high-frequency user experiences, and be pushed to Banyan users. In addition, the Banyan and Banyan S systems will be upgraded to version 2.0, featuring significant iterations in design and user experience. Areas highlighted by user feedback—such as the usability of complex in-vehicle functions—are expected to see improvement. As NIO’s flagship SUV, branded as “the most technologically advanced SUV in the global market this year,” the ES9 is widely expected to be the first to adopt the upcoming two major NWM iterations and Nomi 4.0. NIO’s livestream last night Combined with previously disclosed specifications—including a body length exceeding 5.3 meters, dual motors rated at 180 kW front and 340 kW rear, a 103 kWh battery pack delivering up to 630 km CLTC range, and the Tianxing chassis—the ES9’s pricing will align with NIO’s positioning as a high-end pure electric brand. Its price band will determine its competitive set. With the all-new ES8 priced at RMB 406,800–446,800 ($56,952–$62,552), the ES9 is likely to start above RMB 500,000 ($70,000). That would position it directly against Zeekr 9X, AITO M9 and Li L9—strong contenders offering both pure electric and extended-range variants—while the ES9 would compete as a pure battery electric model. NIO ES9 If priced closer to the ET9, which ranges from RMB 768,000 to 818,000 ($107,520–$114,520), the ES9 would instead face models such as Audi Q8, Volvo XC90, Hongqi E-HS9 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, placing greater emphasis on brand strength. The success of the all-new ES8 and NIO’s return to operating profitability in the fourth quarter of 2025 have significantly boosted internal morale and improved external sentiment. Against this backdrop, the launch of the ES9 appears timely. Whether NIO can replicate the success of the ES8 remains to be seen. An initial answer may emerge on April 9.