NIO ES9 Launches from ¥498,000, Taking Direct Aim at Aito M9 in Premium EV SUV Segment

On the evening of May 27, 2024, NIO officially launched the ES9, with a starting price of RMB 498,000. With NIO’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) option, the entry price drops to RMB 390,000. On the same day, the new AITO M9 also debuted in Shenzhen. Both models are positioned as premium flagship SUVs in the RMB 500,000 segment, targeting highly overlapping customer groups and directly competing with each other in product positioning. The NIO ES9 is a full-size, all-electric executive flagship SUV, measuring 5,365 mm in length with a 3,250 mm wheelbase. It offers over 2.8 meters of longitudinal cabin space, up to 1.2 meters of legroom in the second row, and a trunk capacity of 800 liters even when fully occupied. The vehicle features a 216-liter front trunk and an ultra-low ground clearance stepboard at just 19 cm, emphasizing the practicality of its native EV spatial layout. In terms of chassis technology, the ES9 is equipped with the world’s first mass-produced Tianting 48V integrated fully active suspension system, which responds in under 6 milliseconds and supports active vibration cancellation and preview-based damping. It also features steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering (achieving a minimum turning radius of 5.4 meters), NIO’s self-developed VSC vehicle dynamics control system, and multiple terrain driving modes. In contrast, the AITO M9 employs an 800V fully active suspension, dual-valve continuously variable damping shock absorbers, and a dual-chamber air suspension system. For luxury amenities, the ES9 comes with “Flying Zero-Gravity” seats featuring a 17-layer structure, 22-point deep-tissue massage, and mechanical foot massage. Its side windows utilize array-based LC smart privacy dimming technology with a 99.8% light-blocking rate. Interior highlights include dual 16-inch executive screens, an 8.8-liter smart refrigerator, and dual wing-style executive tray tables. The audio system—named “Jiuxiao Tianqing”—boasts 47 speakers and is complemented by advanced NVH engineering for exceptional cabin quietness. On the intelligence front, the ES9 is powered by NIO’s self-developed AD chip Shenji NX9031 and the SkyOS·Tianshu vehicle operating system. It features the NOMI Intelligence 4.0 voice interaction system with an emotion engine. Its ADAS suite, the “Aquila HyperSense System,” integrates 31 high-performance sensors and leverages NIO’s World Model (NWM) to enable point-to-point urban and highway navigation assistance, battery-swap navigation, intelligent parking, and comprehensive safety assistance functions. To date, this system has helped avoid or mitigate over 5.7 million incidents. For energy replenishment, the ES9 leverages NIO’s battery swap ecosystem, supporting seamless 3-minute battery swaps. Built on a 900V high-voltage platform with a 102 kWh battery pack, it delivers a CLTC range of 620 km. At launch, NIO operated more than 3,800 battery swap stations nationwide and plans to add over 1,000 more by year-end. The BaaS program further lowers the barrier to entry for buyers. The AITO M9, meanwhile, offers diverse powertrain options to cater to a broader user base. The NIO ES9 focuses squarely on native electric driving experience and the advantages of battery swapping. The two vehicles thus pursue differentiated strategies in technical approach, usage scenarios, and user experience—jointly driving China’s premium SUV market toward greater systematization, technological sophistication, and experiential excellence.