Nio Stock Rises Premarket: Investors Look Past China Software Recall Toward ES9 Flagship SUV Launch

The company plans to fix software issues through free over-the-air updates, bringing affected vehicles to Aspen 3.5.6, Alder 2.1.0, or newer versions.

• Chinese regulators said Nio will recall 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 vehicles built between 2018 and 2023.
• The recall was due to software issues that could cause temporary blackouts on the dashboard and central display.
• Regulatory filings showed the upcoming ES9 will feature a 102-kWh battery with up to 620 km CLTC range and a larger body than the ES8.

Nio shares rose 0.8% in premarket trading on Tuesday, as investors weighed the company’s disclosure of a large-scale software recall in China against new regulatory filings detailing the specifications and expected launch timeline of its next flagship SUV.

Nio To Recall Over 246,000 EVs In China 

Chinese regulators said Nio will recall 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 vehicles manufactured between March 2018 and January 2023 after identifying software issues that could, under certain conditions, cause temporary blackouts in the instrument cluster and central display, CnEVPost reported.

The malfunction could leave drivers without access to key information, including speed readings, system alerts, and defrost or demist controls, increasing safety risks. The recall applies primarily to vehicles built on Nio’s NT 1.0 platform. Nio said it will address the issue through free over-the-air software updates, bringing affected vehicles to Aspen 3.5.6, Alder 2.1.0, or newer versions.

Software Platforms Under The Spotlight

The recall highlights the complexity of Nio’s evolving software stack. NT 1.0 models run the Aspen architecture using Mobileye EyeQ4 chips, while NT 2.0 vehicles operate on the Banyan system with Nvidia Orin X processors. Newer models featuring Nio’s in-house Shenji NX9031 chip rely on Cedar and Cedar S software.

Large recalls involving domestic automakers remain relatively rare in China, where software-related actions have more often involved global EV makers like Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Flagship ES9 Details Surface 

Meanwhile, newly released filings from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology provided a clearer look at Nio’s upcoming ES9 flagship SUV. The vehicle will use a 102-kWh battery pack and offer CLTC-rated driving ranges of up to 620 kilometers, depending on configuration. Curb weight varies between 2,845 and 2,915 kilograms. 

By comparison, the current-generation ES8 delivers a CLTC range of 635 kilometers with the same battery. The filings also show the ES9 will be larger than the ES8, measuring 5,365 mm long, 2,029 mm wide and 1,870 mm tall, while retaining the same 3,250 mm wheelbase.

Nio ES9 Nears April Launch

Nio said the ES9’s technical launch is tentatively planned for early April, pointing to a likely public debut around the Beijing Auto Show later that month. The model has completed tooling trials and is expected to enter pre-production shortly.

CEO William Li has said the ES9 will incorporate the company’s latest technologies, including dual Shenji NX9031 chips and the SkyRide chassis, and is positioned as a more business-oriented alternative to the ES8.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

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

One user said, “$NIO is not going to make you rich overnight. Just keep adding and in 5-10 years it will.”

Another user said, “An over the air software recall is not a big deal. 1 recall Tesla had 72 had to bring them in to get it fixed. NIO just wake up one morning turn the car on recall fixed.”

U.S.-listed shares of Nio have risen 15% over the past 12 months.

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