Nio Stock Jumps Premarket: EV Maker Adds Smart-Driving Upgrade For Legacy Vehicles

• Nio launched an aftermarket assisted-driving indicator light upgrade priced from 998 yuan ($146) for several existing models.
• Customers who place a 10-yuan deposit between April 27 and June 9 can offset 100 yuan of the final payment due between June 10 and July 31.
• Smart-driving usage across the fleet expanded after the rollout of the Nio World Model platform.

U.S.-listed shares of Nio, Inc. (NIO) jumped 2% in premarket trading on Monday after the Chinese EV maker rolled out a smart-driving indicator upgrade for older vehicles, extending features previously limited to newer models.

Nio’s U.S.-listed shares slid 9% last week, posting their worst weekly performance in nearly four months.

Nio Extends Assisted-Driving Indicator Upgrade

The company said customers can now pre-order the aftermarket assisted-driving indicator light upgrade starting at 998 yuan (about $146). Buyers placing a 10-yuan deposit between April 27 and June 9 can offset 100 yuan from the final payment, with the remaining payment window running from June 10 through July 31, according to a CnEVPost report. 

The upgrade introduces a dual-color lighting system combining standard yellow turn signals with a blue indicator that illuminates when assisted-driving mode is active. The blue signal is designed to communicate the vehicle's operating status externally in scenarios such as Navigate on Pilot Plus and Self-Automatic Parking Assist with Fusion.

The upgrades apply primarily to 2025 and earlier ET5 and ET5 Touring models, 2023 to 2025 ES6 and EC6 vehicles, and the 2025 ET9.

Assisted-driving indicator lights are increasingly becoming standard across newly launched EV models in China, typically appearing on mirrors or rear lighting elements to alert surrounding drivers when automated features are active.

Nio Sees Jump In Smart-Driving 

The hardware upgrade follows the rollout earlier this year of the company’s Nio World Model assisted-driving software platform, which expanded smart-driving usage across its fleet. In February alone, vehicles logged over 200 million kilometers using assisted-driving features, up 81.5% from January.

Earlier this month, updated 2026 versions of the ES6, EC6, ET5 and ET5 Touring were introduced with assisted-driving indicator lighting included as standard equipment.

Nio Leans On Onvo Models For Growth

Alongside feature upgrades for existing vehicles, the company is also pushing product launches through its Onvo sub-brand as part of its efforts to sustain delivery momentum through the second quarter.

The upcoming L80 SUV is scheduled for a technology launch event and pre-sales opening on Tuesday. The model offers up to 2,840 liters of total storage space, including a 240-liter front trunk and up to 2,600 liters of rear cargo capacity with the second row folded. The vehicle also includes 53 storage compartments and a space-utilization rate of up to 81.5%.

The L80 follows the launch earlier this month of the refreshed 2026 L90, which introduced the company’s in-house Shenji NX9031 chip and added LiDAR for better assisted-driving capability. The update comes after the L90’s orders retreated sharply in the six-seat SUV segment, with monthly deliveries falling to 1,300 units at one point.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About NIO?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Nio is at near-record-low levels (29/100) amid an 80% plunge in message volume over the past month.

One user said, “Now add on the other vehicles Nio sells and add the even more profitable ES9 into the mix going forward (that set a record for Nio preorders even as a higher priced vehicle) and you have a behemoth of profitability, growth, and revenue.”

Another user said, “$NIO Is killing BMW and Mercedes in China.”

U.S.-listed shares of Nio have risen 49% over the past year. 

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