Basketball Superstar Yao Ming Receives His NIO ES9

This news is about a Chinese luxury electric SUV, not about home energy upgrades or rebates, so there's nothing here for you to act on around your own house.

Basketball star Yao Ming recently took delivery of a NIO ES9, an electric SUV made by the Chinese automaker NIO. He placed his order within minutes of launch but still waited two months for the vehicle, since demand has been running well ahead of production. NIO's ES9 is close to reaching 20,000 total deliveries, and wait times for higher-end trims of a related model, the ES8, run 13 to 14 weeks, with even the cheapest trim carrying a 3-to-4-week wait.

The ES9 starts at 498,000 yuan (about $73,777), or 390,000 yuan (about $57,777) if the buyer leases the battery separately rather than buying it outright. Deliveries began on May 28, and NIO hit its 10,000th delivery about a month later, on June 26.

For homeowners tracking the electric vehicle market as part of broader energy decisions, like whether to add a home charger or solar panels, this mainly signals strong demand for high-end EVs in China. It doesn't involve any U.S. rebate program, tax credit, or home energy upgrade, and NIO vehicles aren't sold in the United States. If you're weighing an EV purchase or charger installation for your own home, this particular story doesn't change anything about what's available or affordable where you live.