Nio Stock Falls Premarket: Flagship ES8 Demand Powers Through Fresh Chip Shortage Disruption

Despite production adjustments, wait times have shortened, and ES8 remains a key profit driver, accounting for about 65% of December 2025 deliveries.

• The company is nearing delivery of its 70,000th third-generation ES8, less than a month after crossing 60,000 units.
• A new shortage of signal processing chips has led to a temporary workaround that removes the “Hyper-Immersive” audio mode.
• Nio’s battery swap network also set a record for usage during the Spring Festival period.

U.S.-listed shares of Nio Inc. (NIO) fell 0.6% in premarket trading on Thursday, even as strong demand for its premium flagship ES8 SUV continued to offset renewed supply chain friction.

U.S.-listed shares of Nio snapped a four-day winning streak on Wednesday, falling more than 2% and edging slightly lower in after-hours trading.

Chip Snag Fails To Slow ES8 Delivery Pace

Yang Bo, head of user operations at Nio, said on Weibo that the company is nearing delivery of its 70,000th third-generation ES8, less than a month after the model crossed the 60,000-unit milestone on Feb. 1. The sustained pace underscores ongoing demand for the three-row SUV, which starts at 406,800 yuan ($59,540), according to a CnEVPost report.

The milestone comes even as Nio confirmed a new disruption tied to shortages of signal-processing chips used in the ES8’s audio system. Due to the shortage, ES8 units entering final assembly from March 2 will use a temporary technical workaround. 

While core hardware and essential audio functions remain intact, a sound mode called “Hyper-Immersive” will be temporarily unavailable.

This marks the second production adjustment for the ES8 since its September 2025 launch. A previous chip shortage in December led to temporary limitations in rear-seat entertainment features, while battery supply constraints also prompted customer compensation last year.

Temporary Workaround To Maintain Flow

To maintain delivery momentum, Nio said customers opting for the alternative configuration will receive a one-time compensation of 20,000 Nio Points, equivalent to roughly 2,000 yuan. Once supply stabilizes, owners will be able to restore the feature through a hardware retrofit. Customers who choose to wait for the original configuration may face delivery delays of four to six weeks.

Despite these hurdles, wait times for the ES8 in China have shortened to six to seven weeks, down from eight to nine weeks previously, signaling that demand remains resilient.

As ES8 demand continues to anchor its premium segment, Nio is preparing to expand its lineup further. The larger ES9 flagship SUV is expected to debut in April, with deliveries scheduled to begin June 1.

ES8 Emerges As Key Profit Driver

The ES8 has become a central profit driver for Nio. The model delivered more than 22,000 units in December 2025 alone, accounting for nearly 65% of the company’s total monthly deliveries. Strong performance from the high-margin SUV helped Nio signal earlier this month that it expects to achieve its first-ever quarterly profit in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Since launch, delivery timelines for the third-generation ES8 have improved from an initial 24 to 26 weeks, pointing to production scaling and market traction.

Battery Swap Network Hits Record Usage

Alongside vehicle demand, Nio’s broader ecosystem continues to scale. During the 2026 Spring Festival travel period, the company completed more than 2 million battery swap services between Feb. 10 and 23, setting multiple daily records.

Its 3,750 battery swap stations handled over 2.07 million swaps during the period, with daily volume rising nearly 30% from the previous year. On peak days, a vehicle completed a swap every 30 seconds at some highway locations.

By late January, Nio’s cumulative vehicle deliveries had surpassed 1.02 million units, supported by expanding integration of its mass-market Onvo sub-brand into the swap network.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Nio was ‘bullish’ amid ‘high’ message volume.

One user said, “I’ll buy tomorrow dip as well … another opportunity what you know about that !!”

Another user called battery swaps “key” to Nio’s growth, saying, “The Battery Swap bashers just don't get it. It's not about Battery Swap or Fast charging..... It's about Infrastructure, Grid Balancing and power backup to the Community.”

NIO stock has risen 2% year-to-date.

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