NIO’s sales surpassed those of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi across eight provincial-level regions and 37 cities in China in August, according to a regional sales update posted on social media by Yang Bo, NIO’s assistant vice president of user operations, on Sept. 17. In August, NIO outsold the three German luxury brands in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shaanxi and Hainan, as well as in 37 cities. The regional results indicate that NIO has established a more systematic advantage in several key markets. In August, NIO sold 556 vehicles in Chongqing, moving ahead of Mercedes-Benz after previously surpassing Audi. NIO sold 556 vehicles in Chongqing in August In Shanxi, NIO also overtook Mercedes-Benz for the first time after previously exceeding BMW. Guangdong has been one of NIO’s more consistent markets, with the brand outselling BBA for six consecutive months since the start of 2026. In Jiangsu, NIO surpassed Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi for two consecutive months in July and August. Performance in some cities has also been linked to increased product volumes. From January through August, the NIO All-New ES8 ranked first in Beijing’s large SUV market, while the firefly ranked first in Nanning’s small-car segment. In Anhui, the NIO ES8, ES9 and ONVO L80 took the top three positions in Hefei’s large SUV market in August. NIO outsells Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi inn Jan-Aug 2026 The continued ramp-up of the ES8 has been a major factor behind NIO’s regional performance. Yang recently said NIO would deliver its 150,000th All-New ES8 this week. On August 21, the model reached 140,000 cumulative deliveries, meaning the two milestones were less than a month apart. On a monthly basis, the ES8 recorded retail sales of 10,991 units in August, remaining above 10,000 units for the 10th consecutive month. This model continues to rank among the leading models in China’s large SUV and RMB 400,000-plus segments. NIO ES8 The ES9 delivered 6,474 units during the same month, ranking first among RMB 500,000-plus battery-electric models for the third consecutive month. The sustained volume of the two high-priced electric SUVs has provided an important foundation for NIO’s competition with traditional luxury brands in some premium markets. NIO Inc.’s overall deliveries also continued to grow. The company delivered 35,836 vehicles in August, up 14.5% year on year, while deliveries in the first eight months reached 262,893 units, up 57.9%. By comparison, traditional luxury brands continue to face sales pressure in China. NIO ES9 In August, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi (BBA) all recorded sharp declines in China, with each brand’s sales falling by more than 25%. The price gap is even more pronounced. Some core BBA models are now transacting at around RMB 260,000-RMB 350,000 ($38,720-$52,080) at the retail level. In contrat, NIO’s average transaction price was still RMB 434,600 ($64,670) in July. In other words, NIO’s recent regional sales gains over BBA are not based entirely on lower pricing. The shift in sales appears to reflect the ramp-up of premium electric SUVs as well as changes facing traditional luxury brands as they navigate China’s transition toward new-energy vehicles.
