Nio Delivers 37,408 Vehicles in September to Meet Third-Quarter Guidance
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Nio delivered 37,408 electric vehicles in September, up 7.65 per cent from a year earlier. The result met its target for the third quarter.
The Shanghai-headquartered carmaker finished the three months ended September 30 with 109,178 deliveries. That was a 25.39 per cent rise year on year. The total landed inside management’s projected band of 108,000 to 111,000 units.
Quarterly volume beat the bottom of the guidance range by 1,178 cars and trailed the top end by 1,822. Deliveries climbed 1.41 per cent from the second quarter. In that previous period, the company handed over 107,658 vehicles and missed its own targets. Total volume across the group reached 300,301 units for the first nine months of the year, bringing cumulative shipments to 1,297,893 vehicles.
Firefly Sets Monthly Record as Onvo Slides
Performance split sharply across the company’s three marques. Firefly delivered 7,327 small electric cars in September. That was up 26.87 per cent year on year and 25.21 per cent month on month. It beat its previous monthly high of 7,084 units set in December 2025. Firefly added 1,475 deliveries compared with August, providing 93.83 per cent of the group’s monthly volume expansion.
The mass-market Onvo brand moved the other way. It delivered 8,763 vehicles in September, sliding 42.52 per cent from a year earlier and dropping 0.53 per cent from August. The brand has now recorded two consecutive months of annual declines, hit by price competition in China’s mainstream family EV segment.
“For the full third quarter, the main brand delivered 62,500 units, expanding 69.25 per cent year on year.”
Premium SUVs Anchor the Main Brand
Deliveries for the core Nio premium badge reached 21,318 vehicles in September. That was a 55.29 per cent rise from a year earlier and a 0.68 per cent uptick from August. For the full third quarter, the main brand delivered 62,500 units, expanding 69.25 per cent year on year.
Sport utility vehicles generated the bulk of those numbers. The third-generation ES8 crossed 150,000 cumulative deliveries on September 20, one year after its commercial release. Meanwhile, the flagship ES9 SUV reached 30,000 cumulative deliveries on September 23. It hit that mark 119 days after its May 28 launch. In August, the ES8 and ES9 together accounted for 17,480 units, representing 82.55 per cent of the core brand’s monthly sales.
Diverging Brand Trajectories Reshape Sales Mix
Running a three-brand strategy gives Nio coverage across price points. However, it also creates operational imbalances across assembly lines and dealer networks. Firefly provides entry-level volume. The premium Nio lineup secures higher revenue per vehicle. Onvo, designed to capture middle-income buyers, faces immediate pressure from domestic rivals cutting prices on mid-sized crossovers.
RetailNews Asia views the core SUV lineup as the anchor for company gross margins while Onvo recalibrates. Maintaining showroom traffic across three brand banners requires heavy capital allocation for retail space and marketing. If Onvo fails to arrest its sales drop, lower dealership returns and factory utilisation will drag on profitability.
Infrastructure Backing and Next Delivery Targets
Nio entered the final quarter after adjusting its energy infrastructure business. On September 28, Geely agreed to take a 30 per cent stake in Nio Power. Geely is injecting 640 million yuan in cash alongside equity in battery swap operator Yiyi Power, standardising swap networks across commercial fleets and consumer vehicles.
Attention now turns to the fourth-quarter production schedule. The group delivered 124,807 vehicles in the final three months of 2025. That sets a high seasonal bar. Meeting it requires Onvo to stabilise while Firefly and the premium SUV line maintain their delivery pace.
Questions & Answers
Q.What were Nio's total vehicle deliveries for the third quarter?
What were Nio's total vehicle deliveries for the third quarter?
Nio delivered 109,178 vehicles in the third quarter. This figure represented a 25.39 per cent rise year on year and met management's projected target range.
Q.Which of Nio's brands saw a significant decline in September deliveries?
Which of Nio's brands saw a significant decline in September deliveries?
The Onvo brand's deliveries fell by 42.52 per cent from a year earlier in September. It has now recorded two consecutive months of annual declines due to price competition.
Q.What is the significance of the recent agreement with Geely regarding Nio Power?
What is the significance of the recent agreement with Geely regarding Nio Power?
Geely is taking a 30 per cent stake in Nio Power, injecting cash and equity in Yiyi Power. This aims to standardise battery swap networks for commercial fleets and consumer vehicles.
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