• Nio's ES8 delivered 10,286 units in July, up 14.68% from 8,969 in June.
• The ES8 accounted for 51.41% of the Nio brand's July deliveries and 28.62% of Nio Inc's total.

Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) delivered 10,286 units of its ES8 electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) in July, returning to the level of more than 10,000 units in a single month.

The figure was up 14.68% from 8,969 in June and up 843.67% year on year. June's sequential decline had broken a run of seven straight months above the 10,000 mark.

Nio released its overall July delivery figures on Saturday and later revealed the ES8's monthly number on Weibo.

The key to the rebound was the five-seat version. It was launched on July 9 and deliveries began the next day, filling demand that had been held back.

Deutsche Bank analysts previously said that some consumers holding off to wait for the five-seat version was the main reason for the ES8's weak June deliveries and for Nio's overall deliveries at the time coming in slightly below guidance.

The five-seat version starts at 382,800 yuan ($56,380) including the battery pack, 5.9% lower than the three-row version. With the BaaS (battery as a service) scheme, the starting price falls to 274,800 yuan.

In July, the ES8 accounted for 51.41% of the 20,008 vehicles delivered by the main Nio brand and 28.62% of Nio Inc's total of 35,934, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

In the first seven months of the year, the ES8 delivered 88,945 units, a more than 20-fold increase from a year earlier.

The third-generation ES8 began deliveries in late September 2025. It reached its 130,000th delivery on July 22, 305 days later.

From January to June 2026, the ES8's retail sales reached 78,618 units, ranking first in the first half in both China's large SUV segment and the 400,000-yuan price segment, Nio said on Weibo on Saturday.

With the addition of the five-seat version, the ES8 now offers five-, six- and seven-seat layouts, covering both the premium large five-seat market and the three-row SUV market.

Together with the ES9, the executive flagship launched in May with a starting price of 498,000 yuan, Nio has built a product matrix covering the premium large SUV market.

Higher-priced models are improving the company's financials. Driven by its flagship products, the main Nio brand's average transaction price reached 443,000 yuan in June.

Deutsche Bank expects Nio to reach non-GAAP breakeven in the second quarter, given the strong contribution from high-margin models.

Cost pressure is emerging, however. Nio founder, chairman and CEO William Li said on July 10 that rising raw material prices had pushed up the cost of each ES8 by nearly 20,000 yuan.

He said the company is working with supply chain partners to hedge part of the cost and keep prices stable, adding that the ES8 still has some margin room.

To sustain the ES8's momentum, Nio is continuing to offer purchase incentives for the model.

Chinese consumers who order an ES8 on or before August 31 can get benefits including a five-year, low-interest financing plan with zero down payment, a limited-time 10,000 yuan option fund, and five years of free access to NOP+ (Navigate on Pilot Plus).

($1 = 6.7894 yuan)