NIO posted its strongest monthly sales performance of 2026 in May, delivering 37,705 vehicles worldwide and reinforcing its position as one of China’s fastest-growing premium electric vehicle manufacturers.
The May result marks a 62.3% year-over-year increase and a 28.4% gain compared to April, highlighting strong demand across NIO’s expanding multi-brand portfolio, which now includes the NIO, ONVO, and FIREFLY brands.
With May’s performance, NIO delivered 150,526 vehicles during the first five months of 2026, up 68.7% from the same period a year ago. Cumulative vehicle deliveries reached 1,148,118 units as of May 31, 2026.
NIO Brand Continues to Lead in the Premium Segment
The core NIO brand accounted for 20,013 deliveries in May, representing a 50.8% increase year-over-year. Between January and May, the brand delivered 97,580 vehicles, up 63.0% compared to the same period in 2025.
A key contributor to that success has been the third-generation NIO ES8, which surpassed its 110,000th delivery milestone in just 245 days. The flagship SUV delivered 11,475 units in May and remained China’s best-selling large SUV priced above 400,000 yuan ($59,000) for the fifth consecutive month, regardless of powertrain type.
NIO is also looking to strengthen its premium lineup with the launch of the new ES9 executive SUV. Officially unveiled on May 27, deliveries began nationwide on May 28. The ES9 features executive-class comfort, advanced intelligent technologies, a 900V high-voltage architecture, and full access to NIO’s charging and battery-swapping ecosystem.
The company describes the ES9 as the culmination of more than a decade of EV innovation and a new benchmark in the intelligent executive SUV category.
ONVO L80 Drives Rapid Growth
NIO’s mass-market sub-brand ONVO delivered 12,029 vehicles in May, nearly doubling deliveries from a year earlier and more than doubling April’s total.
The ONVO brand delivered 30,720 vehicles during the first five months of 2026, supported largely by the successful launch of the new ONVO L80.
Officially launched on May 15, the large five-seat electric SUV generated strong customer demand and delivered 5,949 units within just 15 days, setting a new delivery-speed benchmark for its segment.
Designed to compete in the growing large-family SUV market, the L80 combines spacious packaging, advanced smart technologies, and compatibility with NIO’s extensive charging and battery-swapping network.
The ONVO brand also benefited from deliveries of the 2026 ONVO L90, which began on May 9. Together, the L80 and L90 helped ONVO surpass the 10,000-unit monthly delivery mark.
Looking ahead, ONVO is preparing another product launch. The new ONVO L60 made its public debut and opened for pre-sales at the Shenzhen Auto Show on May 29, with an official market launch scheduled for June 11.
FIREFLY Maintains Leadership in Premium Compact EVs
NIO’s newest sub-brand, FIREFLY, continued to gain traction in the premium compact EV segment.
The brand delivered 5,663 vehicles in May, representing a 53.9% year-over-year increase and a 13.7% improvement from April. Total deliveries for the first five months of the year reached 22,226 units.
FIREFLY also celebrated its 60,000th cumulative vehicle delivery in May. According to the company, the brand currently holds more than 72% market share in China’s premium compact EV segment, maintaining the top position for 12 consecutive months.
To further improve the ownership experience, FIREFLY rolled out a software update in mid-May that boosts peak electric drive output to 120 kW through optimized control algorithms, enhancing overall vehicle performance.
