Chinese premium electric vehicle makers NIO and XPeng continued to expand their electric vehicle sales in September 2026, with both Chinese EV makers reporting strong third-quarter delivery growth and continued investment in new models, charging infrastructure and intelligent driving technology.
NIO delivered 37,408 vehicles in September, while XPeng delivered 41,256 vehicles, highlighting the intensifying competition among China’s leading smart EV manufacturers.
NIO Delivers More Than 37,000 EVs in September
NIO delivered 37,408 vehicles in September 2026, an increase of 7.7% compared with the same month last year.
The monthly total included:
– 21,318 NIO-branded vehicles
– 8,763 ONVO vehicles
– 7,327 FIREFLY vehicles
NIO’s momentum was stronger over the full third quarter. The company delivered 109,178 vehicles between July and September, representing a 25.4% year-over-year increase.
For the first nine months of 2026, NIO delivered 300,301 vehicles, up 49.2% from the same period a year earlier. Cumulative deliveries reached 1,297,893 vehicles as of September 30.
The company’s premium SUV lineup also reached several important milestones during September.
The all-new NIO ES8 reached its 150,000th delivery on September 20, exactly one year after its launch. NIO said the model ranked first in cumulative sales among large SUVs and vehicles priced above RMB 400,000 during its first year.
The NIO ES9 also passed the 30,000-delivery mark on September 23, less than four months after deliveries began on May 28. NIO said the ES9 ranked first in monthly sales among battery-electric vehicles priced above RMB 500,000 for three consecutive months.
These results give NIO a growing presence in China’s premium electric SUV segment, where product technology, charging services and battery-swapping infrastructure remain important differentiators.
XPeng Delivers More Than 41,000 Vehicles
XPeng reported an even higher monthly delivery total, handing over 41,256 electric vehicles in September 2026.
September deliveries increased 5% from August, while the company also reported strong demand for the XPeng L03, with monthly deliveries exceeding 10,000 units.
XPeng’s third-quarter performance was particularly notable. The company delivered 118,390 vehicles during the quarter, representing a 15% increase from the previous quarter.
The September results came as XPeng continued to expand its product lineup and intelligent vehicle technology.
On September 17, XPeng launched the G9L, a new premium flagship SUV featuring the company’s latest technologies. The model is scheduled to make its global debut in Paris in October.
XPeng also began rolling out XOS 6.3.0 in China on September 22. The software update is powered by the latest version of the company’s VLA 2.0 model, reinforcing the company’s focus on software-defined vehicle technology and intelligent driving.
Charging Infrastructure Continues to Expand
Charging infrastructure remains another major area of investment for XPeng.
As of September 30, the company’s self-operated charging network in China covered more than 430 cities and included over 4,000 charging stations.
More than 3,510 of those stations were ultra-fast charging stations, with the overall network providing more than 22,200 charging piles.
XPeng also opened its first X-Energy megawatt ultra-fast charging station in Hong Kong on September 15, extending its high-power charging strategy beyond mainland China.
The expansion could become increasingly important as EV buyers place greater emphasis on charging speed and convenience, particularly as electric vehicles with larger batteries and longer driving ranges become more common.
NIO and XPeng Continue to Push China’s EV Market Forward
The September delivery figures show that NIO and XPeng are entering the final quarter of 2026 with significant sales momentum.
NIO’s first three quarters produced more than 300,000 deliveries, supported by growth across its NIO, ONVO and FIREFLY brands. Its premium ES8 and ES9 SUVs have also established strong positions in higher-priced segments.
XPeng, meanwhile, delivered more than 118,000 vehicles during the third quarter and surpassed 41,000 deliveries in September alone. The company is simultaneously expanding its vehicle lineup, software capabilities and charging network.
With new models such as the XPeng G9L entering the market and NIO continuing to expand its multi-brand strategy, competition among China’s smart EV manufacturers is becoming increasingly intense.
The latest delivery figures also highlight how the Chinese EV market is evolving beyond simply increasing vehicle production. Automakers are increasingly competing through software, intelligent driving, charging technology, battery infrastructure and premium vehicle features alongside price and range.
Both NIO and XPeng now have several key growth areas heading into the final quarter of 2026, setting the stage for another closely watched period for China’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle market.
