Nio Stock Charges Into June: New Flagship SUV Draws 17-Week Delivery Queue Just Days After Launch

• The EV maker's new ES9 flagship SUV built delivery queues of up to 17 weeks just days after launch.
• Nio delivered 37,705 vehicles in May, its strongest monthly performance of 2026.
• The ES9 launched on May 27 and sits above the ES8 as Nio's new flagship six-seat SUV, with prices starting at 498,000 yuan.

U.S.-listed shares of Nio, Inc. (NIO) extended their gains in premarket trading on Monday, rising 4%, after the EV maker's new flagship SUV began generating four-month delivery queues, adding to momentum from its best sales month of the year and a major customer milestone in China.

Nio’s U.S.-listed stock jumped 7% on Monday after Nio reported May deliveries of 37,705 vehicles across its Nio, Onvo and Firefly brands, marking the company's strongest monthly performance this year. 

Nio’s New ES9 Builds Early Backlog

A key focus for investors is the early reception of Nio's newly launched ES9 flagship SUV. Just days after the model's debut, Nio's online configurator showed buyers of the two highest-priced trims facing delivery waits of 16 to 17 weeks, while one configuration of the entry-level version could be delivered in as little as three to four weeks, according to EV.

The delivery wait times suggest stronger demand for the premium versions of the SUV. The top-spec Horizon Edition starts at 628,000 yuan ($92,827), while the Executive Signature Edition starts at 558,000 yuan. Both variants carried wait times of four months. The ES9 officially launched on May 27 and deliveries began the following day. Positioned above the ES8, the six-seat SUV is now the flagship vehicle in Nio's lineup.

The company is also using launch incentives to drive orders, including financing offers, complimentary NOP+ assisted-driving access and other promotional benefits for customers who lock orders before July 31.

Nio’s ES8 Remains The Backbone

While attention has shifted to the ES9, Nio's existing flagship SUV continues to drive a significant portion of sales. The ES8 delivered 11,475 units in May, accounting for over 30% of Nio's total deliveries and over 57% of deliveries under the core Nio brand.

The model has now remained above the 10,000-unit mark for seven straight months and has been China's best-selling large SUV priced above 400,000 yuan for five straight months, according to the company. Between January and May, ES8 deliveries hit 69,688 units.

Nio Grips 200,000 Users In A Key Market

Nio's latest stock rise also comes as the company crossed another milestone in Zhejiang province, one of China's wealthiest and most economically developed regions. The company has now surpassed 200,000 users in Zhejiang, doubling its customer base in the region in less than two years. Nio executive Fan Hongyin said that the company hit its first 100,000 users in July 2024 before adding another 100,000 users in under two years, CnEVPost reported.

According to Fan, one out of every three battery-electric vehicles priced above 300,000 yuan sold in the province is a Nio. The province now accounts for one-sixth of Nio's total user base and remains the company's largest regional market by customer count.

Nio also operates 489 battery swap stations across Zhejiang, including 113 along highways, giving it the largest battery-swapping network in the province. Users in the region have completed more than 18.5 million battery swaps, the highest total among China's provincial-level regions.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About NIO?

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

One user said, “$NIO we were at 6.42 before may. So we gotta get there today . If we do, then we can talk about another 20% upward this month for q1 er results and May sales jump. 7.70ish”

Another user said, “May had the 3rd highest deliveries since Q4 of last year. And everyone knows Q4 is the best Quarter for deliveries. We now have ES9 Es8 L90 L60. June could be the highest for NIO yet.”

Nio’s U.S.-listed shares have jumped 69% over the past year. 

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