Nio puts three brands on one stage at Auto China 2026: ES9 debut, ES8 Mirrorblack pricing and a Silk Road battery-swap plan

Nio presented its three brands together for the first time at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026), showing 11 models and, by the company's count, 12 full-stack technologies, according to Nio's own press release dated April 24, 2026. Founder, Chairman and CEO William Li said at the press conference, which Nio says drew nearly 500 journalists, that "This year, NIO, ONVO, and firefly take the stage together at Auto China for the first time, presenting a collective showcase of NIO's multi-brand strategy and 11 years of system-level innovation."

The headline items are the auto show debut of the ES9 flagship executive SUV, a show-priced special edition of the All-New ES8, an announced pre-order date for ONVO's L80, and details of a planned battery-swap corridor along China's Silk Road. Every price and figure below is a China-market figure.

ES9: a flagship SUV aimed at late May

The Nio ES9 made its auto show debut in Beijing. Nio describes it as its flagship executive SUV and as "a pioneer among smart electric flagship executive SUVs," language that is the company's positioning rather than an independent verdict. Nio stated that "The NIO ES9 will kick off its fastest 10,000 km challenge in early May with official launch and delivery to start in late May" — a schedule for the China market, not a confirmed delivery date elsewhere. Nio also says the ES9 "Bring[s] together over 40 industry-first technologies and nearly 40 class-leading features," claims the company itself frames.

ES8 Mirrorblack Edition: show pricing in Beijing

The All-New ES8 Mirrorblack Edition made its official debut at the show. Nio priced it from RMB 456,800 in China, or from RMB 348,800 with the Battery as a Service (BaaS) option — the plan in which the battery is not purchased with the car. The edition is built on the six-seat Executive Signature version and adds exclusive design elements, including an Arctic Black finish with black chrome trims, 22-inch forged wheels and a new Yardang Orange interior theme, per the release.

Nio also attached sales claims to the ES8, stating it has been "the sales champion for four consecutive months" since December 2025 "in both the large SUV segment and the price segment of over RMB 400,000," and that "the All-New ES8 has surpassed 100,000 units in just 215 days since deliveries began." These are Nio's figures and rankings, as stated by the company, covering the China market.

ONVO and firefly: new announcements

ONVO announced at the show that its L80, described by the company as a smart large five-seat executive flagship SUV, would hold its product and technology launch on April 28, when pre-orders would open; the model appears at Auto China the same day, with show cars in ONVO stores across China. The 2026 ONVO L90 was launched earlier, on April 21, which Nio says brought more than 70 hardware and software upgrades across eight key domains. The firefly brand showed a refreshed model with a new "porto peach" exterior color and custom builds, including the "glow rod" special edition from Milan Design Week making its China debut.

The Silk Road Power Swap Route: dates and numbers

Per the company's April 24, 2026 announcement, Nio plans to complete the Hexi Corridor section of the Silk Road Power Swap Route from Xi'an to Dunhuang in May, a 1,739-kilometer route supported by 20 Power Swap Stations, averaging one station every 87 kilometers, allowing Nio and ONVO users to travel to Dunhuang using battery swapping. By the end of September, the company says, the full 3,448-kilometer route will be connected, with over 30 Power Swap Stations in total. These figures are the company's own counts and planned schedule.

Nio's April 24, 2026 release also carries its cumulative company figure: as of March 31, 2026, Nio Inc.'s cumulative deliveries reached 1,081,057 vehicles. This is a company-reported number with the date the company carries.

Per the same April 24, 2026 release, the two milestones Nio set for the Silk Road Power Swap Route are the Hexi Corridor section from Xi'an to Dunhuang complete in May and the full 3,448-kilometer route connected by the end of September, both on the company's planned schedule for the China market.