SHANGHAI, April 1, 2026, 20:04 CST
Nio reported March deliveries of 35,486 vehicles, a 136% jump from the same month last year, with first-quarter numbers reaching 83,465—just over its 80,000 to 83,000 vehicle guidance. For March, the breakdown: 22,490 from the flagship Nio brand, 6,877 Onvo units, and 6,119 Firefly models. Total deliveries now stand at 1,081,057.
These figures arrive just weeks after Nio announced its maiden quarterly adjusted operating profit—a metric that excludes certain standard accounting items—at a critical juncture, with the automaker gearing up for an April launch push aimed at sustaining demand. Earlier in the day, before Nio published its latest delivery update, the company’s Hong Kong shares jumped roughly 10%. Investors seemed confident: expectations were high for robust March deliveries, and anticipation builds around fresh models.
Nio’s core brand carried the momentum. According to CnEVPost, which referenced company figures, the all-new ES8 recorded 16,255 March deliveries. Nio itself reported the ES8 reached its 80,000th delivery as of March 20, and has held the top spot in China’s large-SUV sector three months running.
Firefly sharpened its presence, too. Sales jumped to 6,119 units in March—twice February’s volume—marking its second-best monthly tally ever. On March 28, the compact EV brand surpassed 50,000 total deliveries. Then, last week, Firefly rolled out its right-hand-drive model in Thailand, pricing it at 799,000 baht.
Nio is counting on that niche label to drive international expansion. Earlier this year, William Li called Firefly “our pioneering brand for global market entry,” and at the Bangkok motor show, brand chief Daniel Jin said the marque is aiming for launches in 20 to 30 countries this year. EV
Li Auto put up 41,053 deliveries in March, while Leapmotor posted 50,029 and Xpeng came in at 27,415. Nio edged past Xpeng for the month but couldn’t catch up to Leapmotor or Li Auto.
The company’s ramping up for a packed launch calendar. April 2 will see refreshed versions of the ES6, EC6, ET5, and ET5 Touring. A tech event focused on the ES9 comes up a week later, on April 9. Onvo’s L80 large SUV is slated to hit the market in May.
Keeping up that momentum won’t be easy. Firefly accounted for under 20% of group deliveries in March, and its first-quarter number—11,583—is nowhere near the pace required for 100,000 vehicles by 2026. Last week, Jin called brand awareness “our biggest roadblock.” The landscape isn’t any smoother outside the company, either: BYD saw sales drop for a seventh straight month in March, squeezed by price wars in China’s EV space. NIO Inc.
Nio reported a fourth-quarter adjusted operating profit of 1.25 billion yuan in March, crediting cost reductions, higher deliveries, and an improved sales mix for the gain. New delivery figures out Wednesday seem to reinforce that upturn. Now, future growth will hinge on the success of upcoming models and the company’s push abroad.
