Written by NIO cars
NIO cars come from a Chinese electric car maker founded in 2014, and they’re best known for batteries you can swap in a few minutes. In this guide you’ll find the 2026 lineup across NIO, ONVO and firefly, as well as the company’s history, its owners and its Formula E title.
NIO cars at a Glance
Founded 2014 As NextEV · renamed NIO in 2016
Founder William Li Chairman and CEO
Headquarters Hefei, China International HQ in Shanghai
Deliveries, 2025 326,028 Up 46.9% on 2024 · all three brands
Largest shareholder CYVN Holdings Abu Dhabi · about 20% after 2023
Listing NYSE: NIO Also Hong Kong (9866) and Singapore
NIO cars Model Lineup
NIO cars are all fully electric, and the company now sells them under three brands: NIO, ONVO and firefly. The prices below are also 2026 China starting prices. However, most models can also be bought without the battery under NIO’s Battery as a Service plan, so you then rent the pack each month instead.
NIO sedans (4)
Midsize electric sedan
ET5
Electric 480 hp 75 to 150 kWh
The ET5 is NIO’s best-known sedan, especially in Europe, and it was updated in April 2026. It starts at RMB 298,000, or RMB 190,000 if you rent the battery. In addition, it earned five stars from Euro NCAP in 2023.
Electric wagon
ET5 Touring
Electric 480 hp Wagon
The ET5 Touring is the wagon version of the ET5, while it costs the same. So if you want more cargo space without an SUV, it’s the one to look at.
Large electric sedan
ET7
Electric 644 hp Up to 705 km CLTC
The ET7 was NIO’s first sedan, revealed in 2021 and updated in 2024. It starts at RMB 428,000, while the 100 kWh battery gives up to 705 km on the Chinese CLTC test. However, sales are now very low.
Flagship sedan
ET9
Electric 697 hp 900-volt
The ET9 is the brand’s flagship, and deliveries began in March 2025. It also uses a 900-volt system as well as two of NIO’s own Shenji chips. Meanwhile, the price starts at RMB 768,000.
NIO SUVs (4)
Midsize electric SUV
ES6
Electric 465 to 900 km CLTC
The ES6 is now in its second generation, so the April 2026 update is a refresh, not a new model. It starts at RMB 338,000, while the 150 kWh battery gives up to 900 km of CLTC range.
Coupe SUV
EC6
Electric Sloping roof
The EC6 is the sloping-roof version of the ES6, and it starts at RMB 358,000. Otherwise, it shares its batteries and much of its hardware with the ES6.
Large three-row SUV
ES8
Electric 697 hp 635 km CLTC
The third-generation ES8 launched in September 2025, and it quickly became a big seller. You can choose six or seven seats from RMB 406,800, while a five-seat version followed in July 2026. As a result of strong demand, it passed 150,000 deliveries in one year.
Flagship six-seat SUV
ES9
Electric 697 hp 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 s
The ES9 is a 5.37-meter flagship SUV, and it went on sale in May 2026. It starts at RMB 498,000, and it passed 30,000 deliveries in less than four months.
ONVO (2)
Midsize family SUV
ONVO L60
Electric 560 to 740 km CLTC
The L60 was ONVO’s first model, and it went on sale in September 2024. Since the June 2026 update it starts at RMB 192,800, or RMB 135,800 with a rented battery.
Three-row family SUV
ONVO L90
Electric 85 kWh
The L90 is ONVO’s big three-row SUV, while it launched in July 2025. Since its 2026 update it starts at RMB 265,800. In addition, a five-seat L80 joined it in May 2026 from RMB 242,800.
firefly (1)
Compact electric hatchback
firefly
Electric 420 km CLTC Rear drive
The firefly is a small hatchback just over 4 meters long, and it launched in April 2025. It starts at RMB 119,800, so it’s the cheapest way into the NIO family. Later that year it also went on sale in Europe.
What Are NIO cars?
NIO started in November 2014 as NextEV, founded by William Li, who had earlier founded the car website Bitauto. Then it renamed itself NIO in 2016, and the first ES8 SUV went into production in 2018. Later that year NIO listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company struggled for cash in 2019, but the city of Hefei rescued it in 2020 and took a 25% stake. Later, Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings invested about $2.9 billion in 2023 and became the largest shareholder. In addition, NIO bought the Hefei plants that JAC had run for it, so it now builds its own cars.
What makes NIO cars different is battery swapping. Instead of waiting to charge, you drive into a station and a robot swaps the pack in a few minutes. NIO had 4,158 swap stations in China in October 2026, and it also sells cars in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and the Middle East.
NIO cars History
NIO cars went from a Formula E team to more than a million deliveries in about 12 years.
- 2014 NextEV is founded in November and enters the first Formula E season.
- 2015 Nelson Piquet Jr. wins the first Formula E drivers’ title for the team.
- 2016 The company becomes NIO and reveals the EP9 supercar in London.
- 2017 The EP9 laps the Nürburgring in 6:45.90, while the ES8 is revealed in December.
- 2018 ES8 production starts, the first swap station opens and NIO lists on the NYSE.
- 2020 Hefei backs NIO with a 25% stake, and Battery as a Service launches in August.
- 2021 The ET7 is revealed, and NIO enters Europe through Norway in May.
- 2022 ET7 deliveries begin, and the first European swap station opens in Norway.
- 2023 CYVN invests about $2.9 billion, and NIO buys its JAC-run plants.
- 2024 Meanwhile, the ONVO brand launches in May and the L60 goes on sale in September.
- 2025 firefly launches in April, while the third-generation ES8 arrives in September.
- 2026 Finally, NIO builds its millionth car in January and launches the ES9 and ONVO L80 in May.
Iconic NIO Models
NIO cars have a short history, but these earlier models also shaped the brand.
2016
EP9
1,341 hp 194 mph
The EP9 is an electric supercar with four motors and 1 megawatt of power. In 2017 it lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:45.90, and only six were built for investors.
2018–2025
ES8 (first generation)
Seven seats Swappable battery
The first ES8 was NIO’s first production car, so it introduced the swappable battery. Because it had air suspension and seven seats, it set the tone for later NIO SUVs.
2019–2023
ES6 (first generation)
Five seats Volume seller
The first ES6 arrived in 2019, and it quickly became NIO’s volume model. In fact, 11,970 were sold in its first year.
2017
EVE concept
Concept Self-driving
Before any NIO went on sale, the EVE concept was shown at SXSW in 2017 as a vision of a self-driving car. It had a lounge-style cabin, so it looked more like a small room than a car.
Who Owns NIO cars?
NIO cars are made by NIO Inc., a public company, and Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings is its largest shareholder. When AutoGathering has a page for a brand, its name below links to that page.
Largest shareholder CYVN Holdings Abu Dhabi · about 20% after 2023
This page NIO Inc. Hefei and Shanghai · NYSE: NIO
Family brand ONVO Launched 2024
Small-car brand firefly Launched 2025
Battery swap NIO Power Swap and charging network
Chips Shenji 5 nm NX9031 driving chip
Chinese EV rivals
In China, NIO also competes with these electric car makers.
For example, founder William Li held about 10.5% of the shares in early 2023, but he controlled about 44% of the votes.
Earlier history
- NextEV (2014–2016) The company’s first name, when it was best known for Formula E.
- JAC contract production (2018–2023) State-owned JAC built NIO cars in Hefei until NIO bought the plants.
- Hefei rescue (2020) Hefei government investors took a 25% stake in NIO China.
NIO cars Accomplishments
The record of NIO cars includes a Nürburgring lap record and a Formula E title, as well as more than 4,000 swap stations.
6:45.90
Nürburgring lap
The EP9 lapped the Nordschleife in 6:45.90 in May 2017, which was a record for an electric car at the time.
2015
Formula E title
Nelson Piquet Jr. won the first Formula E drivers’ championship with the NEXTEV TCR team.
4,158
Swap stations
In October 2026, NIO had 4,158 battery swap stations in China, while 1,070 of them were on highways.
126 million
Battery swaps
Drivers had made more than 126 million swaps by October 2026, while a record 183,469 were made on one day.
1 million
Cars built
Then NIO built its millionth car in Hefei in January 2026.
5 stars
Euro NCAP
The ET7 earned five stars in 2022, and the ET5 did as well in 2023.
326,028
Deliveries in 2025
As a result of new ONVO and firefly models, NIO delivered a record 326,028 cars in 2025.
NIO Racing History
NIO cars have their roots in racing, since the company entered the first Formula E season in 2014. However, NIO left the series after the 2022–23 season.
Formula E
NEXTEV TCR
Drivers’ champion 2014–15
In the first Formula E season, Nelson Piquet Jr. won races at Long Beach and Moscow. As a result, he took the drivers’ title, while the team finished fourth.
Formula E
NIO 333
2019–2023
Later results were weaker, so NIO sold the team to Lisheng Racing for season six. It then raced as NIO 333 until 2023, when it became ERT.
Talk NIO With Other Owners
When you own a NIO, you have plenty to share, from battery swap tips to long trips in an ES8. Soon, AutoGathering will connect this page to a NIO community space where you can compare models, share charging advice and plan meetups.
- ET5 and ET5 Touring
- ES6 and EC6
- ES8 and ES9
- ET7 and ET9
- ONVO L60, L80 and L90
- firefly
- Battery swapping and BaaS
- NIO in Europe
NIO cars FAQ
Who owns NIO?
NIO is a public company, so its shares trade in New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings became the largest shareholder in 2023 with about 20%, while founder William Li controls a large share of the votes.
Where are NIO cars made?
NIO cars are built in Hefei, China, while the electric motors come from Nanjing. Until 2023 they were made under contract by JAC, but NIO then bought those plants.
How does NIO battery swapping work?
You drive into a swap station, and a robot replaces the battery in a few minutes. NIO had 4,158 stations in China in October 2026.
What is NIO BaaS?
BaaS means Battery as a Service. You buy the car without the battery, so the price drops, and then you rent the pack each month, from RMB 728 for 75 kWh.
What are ONVO and firefly?
They are NIO’s other brands. ONVO sells family SUVs from 2024, while firefly sells a small hatchback from 2025.
How many NIO cars have been sold?
NIO had delivered 1,297,893 cars across its three brands by September 30, 2026.
Where can you buy NIO cars?
NIO cars are sold in China, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, as well as in the UAE and other markets.
Explore More Manufacturers
Compare NIO with other electric car brands.
Photo credits
- Header image: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- White NIO ET5 electric sedan in Stuttgart: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Light blue NIO ET5 Touring wagon at…: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Gray NIO ET9 flagship electric sedan: Poprace, CC0, cropped and resized.
- NIO ES6 electric SUV on display in…: S5A-0043, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- Green NIO EC6 coupe SUV on a…: JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0, cropped and resized.
- White third-generation NIO ES8 SUV on display…: S5A-0043, CC BY 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Black NIO ES9 six-seat SUV in a…: JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0, cropped and resized.
- Red ONVO L60 electric SUV: JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0, cropped and resized.
- Silver ONVO L90 three-row SUV on display: JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0, cropped and resized.
- firefly compact electric hatchback on display in…: S5A-0043, CC BY 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Blue NIO EP9 electric supercar on display…: Jengtingchen, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Blue 2018 NIO ES8 SUV in Zhongshan,…: User3204, CC BY 4.0, cropped and resized.
- NIO Eve autonomous concept car on display: Jengtingchen, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Light blue 2019 NIO ES6 SUV in…: User3204, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Nelson Piquet Jr. driving the NEXTEV TCR…: Matt Buck from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped and resized.
- Daniel Ticktum driving the NIO 333 Formula…: KAgamemnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Dark gray NIO ET7 sedan on display…: S5A-0043, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.