The ES7 is the model codenamed Gemini and is aimed at competing with the BMW X5L, which will be released this year.

After many rumors, Nio finally confirmed today that the new SUV ES7 will be announced soon.

Nio will unveil the new model ES7 in April, which is positioned as a big five-seat pure electric SUV, between the ES6 and ES8, said Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of Nio.

The model will be built on the Nio NT2.0 platform with the same level of intelligence as the ET5 and ET7 sedans, Qin said at a media event today, adding that the model will be delivered during this year.

"Our delivery target for this year is up to the supply chain, and we will increase our capacity this year and deliver as many as we can," Qin said.

The ES7 is the rumored model codenamed Gemini, which was previously misunderstood to be a new brand, but is actually a new model, according to Qin.

The model is aimed at competing with the BMW X5L, which will be released this year, according to Qin.

Except for three SUVs based on the first-generation platform - ES8, ES6 and EC6 - Nio had no new models for delivery throughout last year.

In contrast, its local counterpart Xpeng began deliveries of a facelifted G3 SUV, the G3i, last year, and Li Auto began deliveries of a facelifted Li ONE.

Nio said last year that it would deliver three models based on the NT2.0 platform in 2022, including the ET7 sedan, which was announced early last year.

The company announced the ET5, the second model on the platform, late last year, and the third model has been a mystery.

Late last year, automotive website Xchuxing posted several spy photos of a model closely included in the camouflage, saying it was the Nio ES7, the first SUV on the EV maker's NT2.0 platform.

(Image credit: Xchuxing)

These spy photos do not show the Nio logo, but the roof lidar and camera setup is identical to the Nio ET7 and ET5 sedans.

According to Qin today, the ES7 is expected to be equipped with the same smart driving hardware as the ET5, which is used in the ET7 model.

Nio will adopt a monthly subscription model for its autonomous driving technology NAD (Nio Autonomous Driving), or ADaaS (AD as a Service), starting with the ET7.

Current indications are that the company appears to be carrying unified autonomous driving hardware in future models so that users can choose whether to subscribe to the service.

Nio delivered 9,652 vehicles in January, up 33.6 percent from 7,225 in the same month last year and down 8 percent from 10,489 in December, data released by the company earlier this month showed.

Deliveries of the Nio ET7 will begin on March 28, and deliveries of the ET5 are expected to begin in September. With the addition of the ES7, Nio's deliveries this year are expected to see a significant boost in the second half of the year if supply chain issues improve.