NIO Stock Rises Overnight: 5-Seat ES8 Preorders Open Ahead Of July Launch, Nio Day Bidding Heats Up

The five-seat ES8 will officially launch on July 9, with display cars now available in Nio stores.

• The new version targets premium large SUV buyers and expands the ES8 lineup beyond its current six- and seven-seat models.
• CEO William Li said the model could push large five-seat SUVs “into the all-electric era.”
• Nio also resumed city bidding for Nio Day 2026, bringing back its user-led host selection process after last year’s direct Hangzhou pick.

U.S.-listed shares of Nio, Inc. (NIO) rose 1% overnight heading into Monday after the EV maker opened preorders for the five-seat version of its ES8 SUV, adding a new variant to one of its strongest-selling and most important premium models.

Nio’s U.S.-listed shares slid 13% so far in June, marking their worst monthly performance since November 2025. 

Nio Expands ES8 Lineup 

Nio opened preorders for the five-seat ES8 on Sunday, with the official launch set for July 9. Display cars are now available in stores, and early buyers can lock in a limited-time benefit under which a 5,000 yuan ($735) deposit counts as a 10,000 yuan purchase discount, CnEVPost reported.

The new version targets the premium large five-seat SUV market and expands the ES8 lineup beyond its current six- and seven-seat versions. CEO William Li said that the model will help push large five-seat SUVs “into the all-electric era,” while making the ES8 a more enduring “king” in the large SUV market.

Nio’s SUV Momentum Grows 

The five-seat launch comes amid a strong run for the ES8, which delivered 11,475 units in May, staying above the 10,000 mark for the seventh straight month. In the first five months of the year, ES8 deliveries hit 69,690 units, accounting for 46% of Nio’s total deliveries over the same period. 

The five-seat ES8 retains the current model's large body and offers up to 3,084 liters of cargo space with the second row folded. It is built on a 900-volt high-voltage architecture, comes with a 102-kWh battery pack, and offers a CLTC range of 655 kilometers.

Nio Day Bidding Returns 

Nio also confirmed that city bidding for Nio Day 2026 has resumed, marking a return to its user-community selection process after last year’s Hangzhou event was chosen directly. The company said that the bidding process is meant to showcase the “charm and cultural heritage” of competing cities. Nio will shortlist three candidate cities on July 4, promote them in the Nio app from July 14 to July 17, and allow users to vote for the final host city from July 17 to July 18 using Nio Points.

Nio Day remains the company’s most important annual showcase. Last year’s event served as the official launch platform for the third-gen ES8, the same high-margin SUV now accounting for a large share of Nio’s deliveries.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About NIO?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for NIO was ‘neutral’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.

One user said, “$NIO  no one should be expecting more than 45,000 for June. 40,000+ is good enough for now. Continue the great quality while rising steadily”

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Another user said, “$NIO 10.00 PT for 2026. Everything is coming along for NIO with high margin car sales and record deliveries every month.Need HK stock market to recover and we are golden.”

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Nio’s U.S.-listed shares have risen 42% over the past year.

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