NIO Day 2023 promises a new flagship EV model – Could it be the ultraluxe ET9?

We currently sit three weeks away from NIO Day 2023, the annual event held by one of China’s leading EV automakers that caps off the year with new and exciting technologies to come. We know NIO intends to unveil a new flagship model during the event, and it’s rumored to be the automaker’s top-of-the-line sedan, possibly named the ET9. Here’s what we know.

NIO Day is an event we look forward to toward the end of each year, as it never fails to showcase new EV models and adjacent technologies. Due to the pandemic, NIO Day 2020 was actually held in January of 2021, where the automaker unveiled its flagship sedan, the ET7.

NIO Day 2021 came as scheduled later that year and included the debut of the ET5 sedan, as well as plans to expand to new markets around the globe by 2025, including the US. Those plans for North America have wavered a bit recently, but NIO Day continues to deliver.

The 2022 event included the unveiling of NIO’s ES8 and EC7 SUVs, pushing the automaker’s lineup to eight available EVs. Later this month at NIO Day 2023, we know that the EV family will grow by at least one – but what model we see unveiled remains somewhat of a mystery.

NIO Day 2023 takes place December 23

According to an announcement from Cofounder and CEO William Li on its mobile app this week, NIO Day 2023 will take place on December 23 at the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center located in the Shaanxi Province of northwest China.

Li also revealed that NIO intends to unveil a new flagship EV model during the event, sparking a blaze of speculation about what the public can expect. NIO’s model nomenclature consists of a letter and a number – the higher the number, the more premium the EV.

The company’s current lineup consists of five SUVs and three sedans, the most premium being the aforementioned ES8 SUV. However, there have been rumors swirling for over a year that NIO has been developing an ultraluxury sedan to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

Per a report from CnEVPost, Edison Yu’s team of analysts at Deutsche Bank believe that luxe sedan is, in fact, on the agenda for NIO Day 2023, and it will be called the ET9. Per a research from Edison Yu sent to investors:

Then at the end of Dec, the company will unveil its new flagship vehicle at NIO Day featuring the latest technologies. Our guess is this could be an ultra high-end sedan ‘ET9’ that would be comparable with Maybach.

The team also said the new top-tier sedan will be produced in low volume and exist as a halo EV to add to the prowess of the growing brand. When speaking to this NIO Day 2023 debut, whatever model it may end up being, William Li relayed the EV will feature the company’s latest tech and will “become the global technology benchmark for smart EVs.”

There’s a genuine chance Deutsche Bank is incorrect and NIO’s next sedan is called the ET8 to match its SUV counterpart, but we’d expect the model to be called either the 8 or the 9. Either way, it is reportedly expected to cost over CNY 1 million ($141,500).

Regardless of the name, we are sure to see a new EV model come out of NIO Day 2023. We will be tuning in and will be sure to report back as we learn more. Check back soon.