Nio’s Onvo L80 undercuts Tesla Model Y in China with $36,000 starting price

Nio’s budget sub-brand Onvo officially launched the L80, a five-seat electric SUV priced from 245,800 yuan (~$36,020), undercutting Tesla’s Model Y by 17,700 yuan (~$2,400) in China.

The L80 opens pre-orders immediately, with first deliveries scheduled for May 15 — adding another aggressive competitor to the most contested EV segment in the world’s largest auto market.

Onvo L80: A five-seat version of the L90

The L80 is essentially a two-row, five-seat variant of the Onvo L90 three-row SUV that launched last year. The two vehicles share Nio’s NT 3.0 platform, the same 900-volt high-voltage architecture, and most of their components — only the seating layout and cargo configuration differ.

That shared platform strategy is working. Since Onvo debuted with the smaller L60 in September 2024 at just $21,200, the sub-brand has racked up strong sales numbers. The L60 delivered over 20,000 units in its first 100 days, and the L90 expanded the lineup into the larger three-row segment. The L80 now fills the gap for buyers who want the L90’s size without the third row — and at a lower price point.