Can Li Bin win this time?

NIO has always had a bad habit of falling short at critical moments.

After more than a decade in the car - making industry, objectively speaking, it has never achieved a resounding victory. Li Bin, as the helmsman, is hardly blameless.

In the past, the overall environment of the Chinese auto market was not as harsh or suffocating as it is today. Even though NIO made mistakes repeatedly, they were not fatal.

However, in 2025, the situation has changed drastically.

As competitors engage in cut - throat competition and NIO itself is in a stage of upheaval and adjustment, actively exposing its weaknesses, it has undoubtedly been pushed to the most dangerous cliff edge.

How tricky the company's situation is can be seen from Li Bin's every word and deed. In my impression, such a drastic internal reform has hardly ever happened to this new - energy car - making company before.

"NIO is in a hurry."

Similar signals can surely be read by everyone. But in a different light, it might be a good thing. After all, only by completely reinventing itself after a breakdown can it possibly achieve a transformation and stay in the game.

Li Bin also needs a resounding victory to regain many lost things.

01

Let go of obsessions and be open to advice

Fortunately, all's well that ends well. After half a year of development, with a great victory of the LeDao L90, NIO has proven to all doubters that it definitely has the ability to return to the center stage and still holds the key to creating a best - selling model.

However, relying solely on this all - electric six - seat SUV targeting the mass market is not enough to withstand the fierce competition ahead. To truly climb out of the quagmire and achieve the goal of turning a profit in the fourth quarter as Li Bin mentioned, NIO definitely needs more help.

Among them, the most crucial answer points directly to the all - new ES8, which can be regarded as its "lifeblood". Without exaggeration, its success or failure will determine the future of the entire enterprise.

In fact, when it comes to the three characters "ES8", they contain NIO's brand concept, product logic, technological accumulation... There is so much information hidden within, and it is even a microcosm of most consumers' first impressions and inherent perceptions of it.

But unfortunately, in terms of terminal performance, the first - generation and second - generation models, due to various reasons, did not make much of a splash in the Chinese auto market.

Last night, the all - new ES8 officially unveiled its mystery.

During the three - hour marathon - style press conference, Li Bin kept sharing information at a high - density throughout. It seemed as if he was pouring out everything to let everyone understand how excellent this all - electric six - seat SUV aiming for the high - end market is.

Based on this background, my summary of it is: "It mainly focuses on being open to advice."

Previously, didn't the outside world always criticize that the first - generation and second - generation models were not large enough? In the all - new ES8, the vehicle length is nearly 5.3 meters, the wheelbase exceeds 3.1 meters, and the vehicle height reaches 1.8 meters. It is almost the most imposing in its class.

Previously, didn't the outside world always complain that the first - generation and second - generation models lacked "a refrigerator, a TV, and a big sofa"? In the all - new ES8, all these are equipped, and the experience is the best.

Previously, didn't the outside world always question that the first - generation and second - generation models had short range? In the all - new ES8, a new 102 - kWh long - range battery pack is standard.

Previously, didn't the outside world always think that the interior design of the first - generation and second - generation models was too low - key? In the all - new ES8, while maintaining the style, the sense of luxury has become more prominent.

Previously, didn't the outside world always feel that the loading capacity of the first - generation and second - generation models was poor when fully occupied? In the all - new ES8, through the optimization of the three - electric system integration, an electric front trunk with a capacity of 230L is introduced. Together with the trunk and the sunken space, the available storage space reaches 777L.

Anyway, just from the static experience, the all - new ES8 does add a distinctive touch to the increasingly homogeneous all - electric six - seat SUV camp.

Moreover, in terms of texture creation, it completely surpasses all current competitors on the market.

Coupled with the charging convenience brought by NIO Power and NIO's proud service system, the all - new ES8 does not disappoint and has the strength to compete with extended - range models like the Wenjie M9 and the Li L9.

More importantly, the pre - sale price also shows its determination.

In the past, perhaps to maintain the brand image, the purchase prices of the first - generation and second - generation models, after choosing the 100 - kWh long - range battery pack, were all set above 500,000 yuan.

But for the all - new ES8, even just in the pre - sale stage, the six - seat executive luxury version, which comes with "a refrigerator, a TV, a big sofa, and three zero - gravity seats", has its full - purchase price dropped to 416,800 yuan.

A few days ago, NIO officially reduced the price of the 102 - kWh long - range battery pack. This means that after adopting the BaaS (Battery as a Service) vehicle - battery separation plan, the all - new ES8 only costs 308,800 yuan.

Obviously, this time Li Bin really wants to win.

For this reason, he doesn't hesitate to let go of his obsessions and directly shake up the market. Moreover, referring to the strategy of the LeDao L90, when the all - new ES8 is launched at the NIO Day in September, it will surely bring more surprises.

Assuming that after finally adopting the BaaS vehicle - battery separation plan, the starting price can drop below 300,000 yuan, even around 290,000 yuan, which connects with the full - purchase price of the top - end version of the LeDao L90, then the all - new ES8 will definitely become a feared competitor among all all - electric six - seat SUVs.

02

Has the era of all - electric six - seat SUVs arrived?

Interestingly, a few days ago, Shen Fei, the president of LeDao, shared a set of data on Weibo. The sales ratio of new - energy vehicle startups' all - electric to extended - range models has changed from 43%:57% last year to 64%:36% this year.

Undoubtedly, he wants to prove that the era of all - electric six - seat SUVs has arrived.

At last night's press conference, Li Bin also mentioned the same view more than once. The consecutive comeback victories of the all - new ES8 and the LeDao L90 are the strongest evidence to support this view.

But amidst the cheers, I still want to pour a bucket of cold water in a somewhat unromantic way.

According to another set of data, the retail sales of luxury cars in July were 170,000 units, a year - on - year decrease of 20% and a month - on - month decrease of 29%.

This huge decline also proves the cooling of the purchasing power of potential customers. For a "premium car" like the all - new ES8, the pressure to expand in the high - end market is obvious.

Moreover, focusing on its biggest competitors, whether it's Wenjie or Li Auto, they definitely won't give up their hard - won "cakes" easily.

The former is about to launch a combination of the M7, M8, and M9, completely filling the price range from 250,000 to 550,000 yuan. Coupled with the continuous endorsement of the Huawei brand, this series of moves will be a tough challenge for everyone, including the all - new ES8.

The latter, with the Li i8 getting back on track and the L series likely to cut prices to boost sales under pressure, will surely put profit aside first to maintain its market share and enter the so - called "fierce mode".

Anyway, the all - new ES8 must not take things lightly.

The success of the pre - sale press conference is just the first step of a long journey. Ensuring the launch, delivery, quality, popularity, and service... In the following, every step cannot afford to make mistakes.

As for me, considering the above situation, I expect that if the all - new ES8 can maintain a stable monthly sales volume of around 5,000 units in the long run, it will already be a very good result. To reach the rumored target of 8,000 units, the final launch price needs to be more stimulating.

As for whether the era of all - electric six - seat SUVs has really arrived?

Currently, it has not fundamentally overturned the dominance of extended - range models in the six - seat SUV market.

Moreover, in the second half of the year, new products under the banner of "super extended - range" and using the "large - battery + ultra - fast charging" technology will also flood into the Chinese auto market like a tide.

The confrontation between the all - new ES8 and them will surely become increasingly intense.

In this regard, we can only say that Li Bin and Shen Fei have good expectations, but facts and results will speak louder. In the future, if the LeDao L90 and the all - new ES8 can really achieve a stable monthly sales volume of over 20,000 units, then the era of all - electric six - seat SUVs can be said to be gradually unfolding.

Oh, by the way, last night, a friend around me threw three questions at me: "Can the all - new ES8 really make money with such an aggressive strategy?"

My answer is: "Never underestimate the magic of cost sharing among multiple models on the same platform."

In other words, since they dare to set the pre - sale price at 308,800 yuan, it must be a choice after a multi - dimensional weighing of pros and cons.

Don't forget, to achieve a profit in the fourth quarter, it will be the main money - maker.

The second question is: "Will the LeDao L90 be affected?"

Actually, the answer is clearer. The price difference between it and the all - new ES8 is more than 100,000 yuan. It's just the BaaS that gives people the illusion of self - competition between the two.

The third question is even more pointed: "Does the pricing of the all - new ES8 mean that NIO has given up its adherence to the high - end brand to a certain extent?"

For a moment, it's a bit regrettable. But the same principle applies: "Survive first, then talk about other things."

If the all - new ES8 doesn't sell well, everything is just empty talk. Later, the real flagship ES9 will also not be able to meet everyone. As for the old customers, on the premise of trying to make up for them, there's not much we can do.

As this article is coming to an end, the last thing I want to say is: "In today's Chinese auto market, it's either you die or I live."

For a long time, I've always felt that NIO is like a chef who only knows how to make delicate Western cuisine. It pays attention to the delicate presentation, the freshness of ingredients, the dining atmosphere, and even the sense of noble service.

But today's consumers actually need snacks and fast food that are large - portioned, affordable, and full of the aroma of a wok. Even a "pre - made dish" will have people scrambling to buy it.

Fortunately, with the launch of the LeDao L90 and the all - new ES8