I wrote an extended article about NIO in the summertime 2022. I had visited NIO and the NIO Home in Oslo within the spring. Whereas a lot of the go to was a convention about NIO, the subsequent day we did have the chance to drive and use the battery swap station outdoors of Oslo. It was not a standard check drive. We had a vacation spot and a automotive stuffed with individuals. I might benefit from the automotive from the second row, the primary row passenger seat, and behind the wheel. I additionally received the privilege of being the motive force when utilizing the battery swap station.
Start of the BEV
NIO began by grabbing the eye of the automotive world with an electrical supercar. It is just match to drive round on circuits, however in China, with many dozens of EV startups yearly, grabbing consideration is vital.
The primary fashions on the market to the general public had been the ES8 and ES6. Each are huge luxurious SUVs within the model of the big Vary Rover or Hummer icons.
NIO ES8
Specs from NIO.com:
- Battery swappable from 75 kWh to 150 kWh, with about 200–400 miles of vary.
- Motor: 160 kW + 240 kW and 725 Nm of torque, all-wheel drive (2020 model).
- Motor: 180 kW + 300 kW and 850 Nm of torque, all-wheel drive (2023 model).
- Charging: 130 kW DC and 11 kW AC.
- Battery swap in 5 minutes, absolutely automated.
- Swap from 75/84/100/150 kWh to 75/84/100/150 kWh primarily based on availability and selection.
- Euro NCAP: ***** (5 stars)
- Size * Width * Top: 200.7” * 78.3” * 58.9”
- The costs in Europe will not be clear. They’re marketed in Norway with out taxes and with out battery for round € . Within the EU, the worth will probably be round €100,000, together with VAT and supply prices earlier than incentives.
Driving Machine
As it is a true first impression, not primarily based on a standard check drive however just a few automobile use with different NIO guests, I shall be temporary. It was my first time driving a brand new BEV after COVID shut down all exploring of the automotive market. The distinction with my Zoe was enormous, and never simply with regards to the dimensions of the automobile.
The ADAS suite is 10 years youthful than what’s in my ZOE. The top-up show was an enormous enchancment over my small dashboard. The seats had been very snug. The doorways had been large sufficient. With my latest expertise of the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz EQS, I can verify that it’s certainly in that luxurious class.
At that degree, the definition of luxurious is made by the customer, not by a reviewer. They’re completely not the identical. A Vary Rover–model SUV and EQS-style SUV are too completely different to really be in the identical class and be in contrast. Solely on paper and when trying on the worth is there any resemblance.
Battery Swapping
When the NIO battery swapping station community reaches a dimension such that on most journeys one station is prone to be alongside your route, that may make for quick and comfy journey. Swapping is known as a 5-minute, easy expertise. It’s fully automated and the driving into and out of the swapping station is taken care of by the automobile.
NIO swapping station with battery storage made seen.
Renting the battery and swapping it when wanted makes it doable to drive with a smallish 75 kWh battery for day by day use, and use a 150 kWh battery when making highway journeys. This removes the largest drawback of huge batteries, carrying their weight round when an enormous battery is just not wanted. It is usually a greater use of the restricted provide of lithium that may maintain batteries costly for the subsequent decade.
NIO has invited different OEMs to supply fashions with the NIO battery swap choice. I hope some will take NIO up on this provide. It does have benefits for some use instances and person teams.
NIO ES8 electrical SUV
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Credit score: NIO
https://www.nio.com/weblog
” data-medium-file=”https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8-270×114.png” data-large-file=”https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8-570×240.png” decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-206464″ src=”https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8.png” alt=”NIO ES8 electrical SUV” width=”1098″ peak=”462″ srcset=”https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8.png 1098w, https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8-270×114.png 270w, https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8-570×240.png 570w, https://cleantechnica.com/recordsdata/2020/04/NIO-ES8-768×323.png 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 1098px) 100vw, 1098px”>
NIO ES8
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