Already present in Norway since May 2021, the electric car manufacturer Nio officially launches its arrival in Europe, with three distinct models. It happened last Friday, in Berlin, Germany, one of the four main target countries along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.
During the Berlin event, Nio unveiled the brand’s three spearhead electric models. There are two sedans, the ET7 and ET5, as well as an electric SUV, the EL7. It should be noted that the SUV, which originally bore the name ES7, was renamed EL7 (for the European market) in order to avoid a long and costly conflict with the manufacturer Audi, which blames Nio for too much similarity with its S7 sedan. Already, in June 2022, Audi had filed a lawsuit against the same Nio for violation of trademark law. The German considered that the names of the Nio models, in this case ES6 and ES8, could lead to confusion with his own models, the S6 and S8.
Contrary to what we announced in May 2021, the new ET7 electric sedan, with a 150 kWh battery and a range of 850 km, will be well marketed in Europe. This electric sedan, 5.09 m long, 1.987 m wide and 1.505 m high, offers a wheelbase of 3.06 m. Aesthetically, this ET7 is a mix of Tesla Model S and Audi.
The sedan incorporates two electric motors, one with permanent magnets of 180 kW (240 hp) at the front and the second (induction) of 380 kW (510 hp) at the rear. The total power is 480 kW (643 hp) for a torque of 850 Nm. The 0 to 100 km/h is reached in 3.9 s.
The set is powered by a 150 kWh battery offering a range of 1000 km (NEDC) or 850 km (WLTP cycles). Note that this 150 kWh battery will only be available from the fourth quarter of 2022.
In the meantime, the ET7 will also be offered with “smaller” batteries: 70 kWh (500 km NEDC) and 100 kWh (700 km NEDC). Remember that the NEDC standard is purely theoretical and does not reflect real driving like the European WLTP standard, or EPA for the United States.
As for the ET5, the second sedan, it takes up the design of the ET7 with nevertheless a touch of sportiness in the drawing. Under the chassis, the ET5 houses two electric motors of 150 kW (204 hp at the front) and 210 kW (285 hp at the rear) for a total power of 360 kW (490 hp and torque of 700 Nm). The exercise from 0 to 100 km/h is done in 4.3 s. On the battery side, the ET5 will offer three different capacities: 75 kWh (500 km), 100 kWh (+700 km) and 150 kWh (+1000 km).
Finally, the EL7 is a five-seater SUV based on the new NT 2.0 platform, unlike the brand’s first electric models. It measures 4.90 m in length, offers a width of 1.99 m and a height of 1.72 m. The SUV incorporates two electric motors: 180 kW (245 hp) at the front and 300 kW (408 hp) at the rear.
Presumably, the EL7 will come with two different battery capacities: 75 and 100 kWh. Despite everything, the Chinese brand also evokes that of 150 kWh. The SUV offers the possibility of charging (V2L) other electrical devices and towing up to two tonnes.
Subscription system and interchangeable battery
One of the peculiarities of the Chinese manufacturer is the subscription allowing customers to “choose the vehicle that best suits their needs” according to durations varying from 1 to 60 months. This program includes “full insurance, maintenance, winter tires, spare car and replacement battery, plus the option to upgrade batteries”.
Although attractive on paper, this monthly subscription is relatively expensive. So, for the Nio ET5 model, it will cost 999€/month in Germany, 1089€/month in the Netherlands, 10,899 SEK (992€) in Sweden and 8499 DKK (1143€) in Denmark.
Finally, Nio has set up battery swapping stations that could allow electric cars to “fill up” in just a few minutes. After a successful experience in China with 500 such stations, Norway was the first country to host a Power Swap Station (PSS). By the end of 2022, Nio plans to build 20 battery exchange stations in Europe. By 2023, that number is expected to reach 120. By 2025, Nio aims to build 1,000 Power Swap stations outside of China, most of them in Europe.
This battery exchange system completes the network of 380,000 charging points in Europe accessible with NFC cards from Nio. For the occasion, the Chinese manufacturer has partnered with Shell. The partnership includes the installation of 100 battery exchange stations in China by 2025 and the operation of pilot stations in Europe during 2022. In addition, Shell Recharge Solutions’ charging network in Europe will be made available to Nio electric car users. Finally, the two partners will explore many themes around vehicles, such as fleet management and home charging.
Change in three minutes
Developed in partnership with Sinopec [ou China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, NDLR], the Nio Power Swap Station 2.0 is capable of swapping up to 312 batteries per day. The system is fully automatic. Drivers only have to press a button from their car’s touch screen for it to position itself automatically in the station, equipped with 239 sensors, like a Park Assist system. The mechanism then removes the battery from the car under its floor, to replace it with a charged pack. The operation only takes about three minutes. The station has a storage capacity of 13 batteries, which are recharged until their next use.
As for a possible arrival in France, Nio has not yet decided. The successes of MG Motors, Aiways and Seres could prompt him to take a closer look at our market. However, despite strong growth, the all-electric market share for us remains around 12% for the time being.