By Denis Bobylev

Copyright carnewschina

The Nio Day 2025 starts at Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center at 19:00 Chinese time. It will be livestreamed tonight as the third-generation Nio ES8 and the Nio ET9 Horizon Edition electric cars are presented during the event.

Meanwhile, CarNewsChina starts the live text broadcast dedicated to the Nio Day 2025.

11:30 (GMT+8): Nio announces that a Hong Kong singer and actress, Karen Mok, has become the chief experience officer of the third-generation ES8 crossover. The Chinese automaker shared a short clip showing Nio’s new SUV as Karen’s personal space. For context, Karen Mok released over 30 albums and appeared in more than 50 films.

12:00 (GMT+8): Nio welcomed Chinese and overseas media with a letter, highlighting that it is the first time Nio Day comes in autumn. This year’s theme is “Glow with the Light.” Today, Nio plans to present two models: the all-new ES8 crossover and the ET9 Horizon Edition sedan.

12:10 (GMT+8): Yu Dongming, Nio’s regional general manager in Anhui, shared that yesterday, Nio held a dinner for its global customers. He also shared photos of the Nio Day 2025 commemorative T-shirt.

15:00 (GMT+8): A Chinese blogger nicknamed Roadpartner shared photos from the Nio Day 2025 location. We can see that people have already gathered around the site and are observing cars displayed locally.

16:00 (GMT+8): Nio officials announced that the 3,500th battery swap station (Power Swap Station, PSS) in China started operating in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. The company highlighted that it has built 8,200 charging & swap stations across the Middle Kingdom. Nio owners swapped batteries over 82 million times.

17:00 (GMT+8): Nio shares official photos of the third-generation ES8 full-size crossover that will launch tonight in China.

17:20 (GMT+8): CarNewsChina editor-in-chief Jiri Opletal shot some modified cars from Nio. The Nio ET5 Touring shooting brake looks like the most popular vehicle for modifications. You can find more live pictures from the Nio Day 2025 on our X.

18:15 (GMT+8): Chinese blogger 42 Hao Cheku shared a video with the Nio ET9 showing the capabilities of its Sky Ride suspension system.

18:40 (GMT+8): Nio Day 2025 is about to start

19:00 (GMT+8): Nio Day 2025 starts with around 7,000 people watching it offline at Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center.

19:20 (GMT+8): Nio co-founder and CEO William Li takes the stage to present the latest Nio products. He highlighted that 150,000 Nio users live in Zhejiang province (where Hangzhou city is situated). It is the most Nio-friendly province in China.

19:40 (GMT+8): The Nio ET9 Horizon Edition enters the Chinese market for 818,000 yuan (115,000 USD). The BaaS (Battery as a Service) purchase plan allows for a reduction in price to 710,000 yuan (99,810 USD). The Nio ET9 adopts a two-color body. Nio calls it “Horizon Beltline.” It has a zero-order difference paint surface that was polished for 15 hours. Other highlights include 23-inch rims, the Nomi Mate 3.0, four comfy seats (front-row seats are black and rear-row seats are white), and more.

Previously, the Nio ET9 was available for 768,000 – 788,000 yuan (108,000 – 110,780 USD) in China. The flagship ET9 Horizon Edition will start deliveries in China this month.

19:55 (GMT+8): William Li underlines that Nio invested over 60 billion yuan in R&D in ten years. And the third-generation ES8 will become the brand’s flagship SUV with the newest tech. The new ES8 is also the largest Chinese battery electric SUV, with dimensions of 5280/2010/1800 mm.

20:05(GMT+8): The Nio ES8 boasts a 2.5 square-meter sunroof and a 2264-mm taillight unit. They are also the biggest in the segment. It has a storage capacity of 777 liters (rear trunk + front trunk) with six people inside. It is suitable for 12 suitcases. The large 230-liter frunk of the Nio ES8 III fits one small and two large suitcases.

The Nio ES8 III became the world’s only car with all six seats equipped with a zero-gravity function. Its front and rear seats boast 20-way power adjustment and a 325-mm power leg support. The third row of the all-new ES8 has two independent seats with a 522-mm cushion length and a backrest that can be reclined to 130 degrees.

20:20 (GMT+8): The Nio ES8 III adopts the Lyra 8.1.4.2 sound system. It comprises 27 speakers with a combined peak power of 4,082 W.

Nio also shared official images of the ES8’s interior. Core highlights are sunshades, a sunglasses holder in the center console, seat adjustment buttons on the door cards, two wireless phone charging pads, a built-in refrigerator, and a ceiling-mounted screen.

20:30 (GMT+8): The new ES8 is equipped with the “Mind-Drive” feature with the Shenji NX9031 chip, which can understand the user’s input, as well as the status of the car’s surroundings, such as text, people in white clothes, and can give way to blocked vehicles. Another feature of the ES8 is the Nio World Model (NWM), which is a point-to-point assistance system. It is usable in parking, urban roads, highways, and charging scenarios.

The new Nio ES8 equips a CATLe ternary NMC battery for 102 kWh. It supports 4C charging. These aren’t exceptional numbers. However, its thickness is only 125 mm. It is good for the interior space of the car. The peak power output of the ES8 III is 520 kW (697 hp). It speeds up to 100 km/h in 4 seconds. It can stop from 100 km/h in 35 meters. The car adopts the ZF-made continuous damping control.

20:40 (GMT+8): Meanwhile, Chinese bloggers visited the underground garage of the Nio Day venue. It is loaded with Nio cars and some NEVs from other automakers.

21:00 (GMT+8): The Nio ES8 III launched in China with a price between 406,800 and 446,800 yuan (57,190 – 62,810 USD), with BaaS price ranging from 298,800 to 338,800 yuan (42,000 – 47,630 USD). It is the first China-made smart NEV crossover with three generations. Deliveries of the Nio ES8 will start on September 21. Trims and prices are as follows:

Nio ES8 7-Seat Luxury – 406,800 yuan (57,190 USD)

Nio ES8 6-Seat Luxury – 406,800 yuan (57,190 USD)

Nio ES8 6-Seat Signature – 446,800 yuan (62,810 USD)

Hong Kong singer and actress Karen Mok performed a song to mark the Nio Day 2025 finish. It’s a wrap! Thank you for following our live broadcast