On May 13, 2025, data from multiple sources showed that NIO's flagship model ET9 achieved 835 insurance registrations in the first full delivery month (April 2025), surpassing the sales of BMW 7 Series and Audi A8L in the same period, becoming China's first domestic brand model to break the traditional foreign monopoly in the luxury executive flagship market. This milestone event marks the leapfrog breakthrough of China's automobile industry from "technology follower" to "value leader" in the high-end market.
Sales data: Chinese brands top the executive flagship track for the first time
According to public industry data, NIO ET9's first month of delivery performance far exceeded market expectations. During the same period, the sales of BMW 7 Series and Audi A8L in China did not exceed 800 units, while ET9 achieved a counterattack in the "core hinterland" of traditional foreign brands with an average transaction price of more than 600,000 yuan. This achievement not only refreshed the ceiling of domestic brands in the luxury car market, but also broke the executive sedan market pattern dominated by BBA (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi) for a long time.
Technological breakthrough: full-stack self-development builds core competitiveness
Analysis points out that the success of NIO ET9 is due to its full-stack self-developed technology system. The intelligent chassis, high-voltage platform and autonomous driving system equipped in this model are all developed in a forward-looking manner for the first time in China, and the technical parameters are comparable to imported models of 1 million yuan. NIO has achieved a "technological generation gap" overtaking traditional luxury brands by integrating the independent innovation capabilities of core links such as batteries, motors, and intelligent driving. Market observers believe that this "hard-core technology" label is reshaping consumers' value perception of luxury cars.
Industry changes: The luxury car market is accelerating the "value return"
In recent years, Chinese brands have continued to impact the high-end market: Wenjie M9 has won the 500,000-level sales champion for 11 consecutive months, and brands such as Ideal and Zunjie are also grabbing market share in the subdivided field. In contrast, the premium ability of traditional luxury brands such as BBA continues to shrink, and the transaction price of the main models has dropped to the 600,000 yuan range, but it has not stopped the sales decline. Industry experts pointed out that the rapid iteration of new energy and intelligent technologies is driving the market to transform from "brand premium" to "technology premium".
The capital market responded strongly
Boosted by the news, NIO's Hong Kong stocks rose nearly 8% on the day, and its US stocks rose more than 7% before the market opened, reflecting investors' strong confidence in China's high-end smart electric vehicle market. It is worth noting that the breakthrough of NIO ET9 may accelerate the differentiation of the luxury car market, and more Chinese brands are expected to compete in the million-level market, completely rewriting the global automotive industry competition landscape.
