NIO ES6 History

NIO announced the ES6 at Nio Day in December 2018 and began deliveries in China in June 2019, positioning it as the brand's most accessible SUV and the direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y. The first-generation ES6 quickly became NIO's best-selling model: it represented nearly 64% of NIO's total sales in 2020 and around 45–46% in 2021–2022, carrying the business through a period of intense competition.

A thoroughly redesigned second-generation ES6, built on the NT 2.0 platform, launched on May 24, 2023, with deliveries beginning the following day. Sharing its platform with the ET5 sedan, the new ES6 featured NIO's intelligent multibeam headlights, Illuminablade taillights, a front 150 kW motor and rear 210 kW motor (482 hp combined), and 0–100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. Battery choices included 75 kWh, 100 kWh, and the 150 kWh semi-solid-state long-range pack.

For European markets, NIO renamed the ES6 to 'EL6' following a naming dispute with Audi, which felt 'ES6' was too similar to its own S6 model. The EL6 launched in Northern Europe in June 2023.