China Auto Daily丨NIO Opens Pre-sales for ES8 SUV with Advanced AQUILA Driver Tech

NIO Launches Pre-sales for All-New ES8 with Advanced Autonomous Driving Tech

On August 21, NIO has officially opened pre-sales for its fully upgraded ES8 flagship SUV, offering three variants with complete vehicle pre-sale prices ranging from RMB 416,800 to RMB 456,800 (≈ USD 57,900 - USD 63,400). The Battery as a Service (BaaS) option reduces initial purchase costs to RMB 308,800 - RMB 348,800 (≈ USD 42,900 - USD 48,400), with initial customer deliveries scheduled for late September following the formal market launch. The model features NIO's proprietary AQUILA super sensing system with 31 perception components including three lidar units, forward-facing cameras, and 4D imaging radar, all powered by the self-developed Shenji NX9031 chip. This represents NIO's most advanced driver-assistance configuration to date.

Geely Debuts Industry-First AI Cockpit System  

Geely unveiled its Full-Scene AI Smart Cockpit, enabling cross-brand vehicle personalization via a unified user ID on August 20, 2025. The system will premiere on the upcoming Galaxy M9 and Lynk & Co 10 EM-P models featuring Flyme Auto 2. This next-generation OS utilizes a five-layer native AI architecture to reconstruct software ecosystems, pioneering an industry-first "shadow mode" for cabin interaction that enables AI self-training and evaluation. Simultaneously, Geely introduced Eva, described as the world's first mass-producible hyper-realistic emotional AI agent. The embodied intelligence achieves awakened "personality" capable of autonomous judgment, planning, and task execution, with debut deployment scheduled for the Galaxy M9.

BYD Expands Finnish Presence Through Veho Group Partnership  

Recently, BYD strengthened its Nordic footprint by forming a strategic partnership with Finnish automotive retailer Veho Group. The collaboration will expand BYD's sales and service network across four cities: Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, and Turku.

GAC Aion Hyper GT Range-Extender Edition Launches from RMB 269,800  

GAC Aion introduced the Hyper GT Range-Extender variant, offering five/six-seat configurations across four trims priced from RMB 269,800 to RMB 299,800 (≈ USD 37,500 - USD 41,600). The model employs GAC's "Starry Sky Range Extension" technology pairing a 1.5T range-extender with a 250kW rear motor and CATL's 60kWh Xiaoyao Super Hybrid Battery. WLTC fuel consumption measures 6.7L/100km with maximum combined range of 1,369km. Standard GSD advanced driver-assist system includes lidar, NVIDIA Orin-X chips, and end-to-end AI algorithms for mapless navigation.

NIO Announces Market Entry into Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Costa Rica  

On August 18, NIO confirmed global expansion plans targeting Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Costa Rica between 2025-2026. In Singapore, the brand will partner with Wearnes Automotive to launch right-hand-drive Firefly models starting 2026. Costa Rican operations will collaborate with local EV distributor Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad, while Uzbekistan marks NIO's inaugural Central Asian market entry through Abu Sahiy Motors.

*(Exchange rate: RMB 7.2 = USD 1)*