A new Chinese manufacturer is coming onto the market – and does not want to sell any cars at all and consequently does not have its own dealer network. The models from Nio are only available on a subscription basis and, in line with the brand’s premium self-image, they are priced in the four-digit range. In Berlin, the brand has now celebrated a debut that has been acclaimed by fans of the brand, none of whom have been able to move one of the three models so far. At times, the atmosphere in the Tempodrom was more reminiscent of the appearance of a teenage star than of the presentation of a new car brand.
Nio is part of the business empire of billionaire William Li, who founded the brand in November 2014. “One morning I looked up into the gray smog sky and realized that I had to do something for a clean environment,” Li describes his motives for founding Nio to the thunderous applause of his followers. The result at the time was “NextEV”, which then became Nio a few years ago. “Next EV wasn’t enough for us, so I created Nio. Luckily the name wasn’t protected,” says chief designer Chris Thomas, describing the emergence of the new brand. At the same time, he also created the new trademark, which symbolizes the direction of the brand. “We know no borders, we want to create new worlds,” says Thomas, who worked for BMW, Coca-Cola and the aircraft manufacturer Gulfstream, among others, before moving to China.
“At Nio, my team and I have been responsible for everything for eight years, from car design to the exchange stations where Nio customers can change batteries,” explains Thomas. The Chinese are not only going their own way when it comes to sales, Nio is also coming onto the market with unconventional solutions when it comes to energy supply. Although the models can also be supplied with electricity at the usual charging stations, the brand actually wants to convince customers to swap the batteries at its stations. The energy storage devices are designed in such a way that they can be charged, exchanged and updated.
The concept is already successful in China. “During the holidays, we swapped around 40,000 batteries a day in China,” reports Fei Shen, senior vice president of Nio Power. “The whole process takes less than five minutes. In Europe we will set up at least 1000 exchange stations by 2025 together with investors. “It takes time to find partners,” admits Shen. 3000 more stations will be built in China in the same period.
In this concept, customers also have the option of designing the batteries according to their ideas. “If someone is going to be in the city most of the time,” Shen says, “they don’t need a big battery. But if he wants to drive a longer distance, he can have a battery with more energy installed at the exchange station.” “We talked to some former Better Place employees, but the time wasn’t right at the time, and they didn’t have their own cars,” Shen explains.
Contact points for the Nio community are the so-called Nio Houses, the first of which opened its doors to coincide with the presentation in Berlin. There the customer will not only find information about the individual models, but also a whole range of products with the Nio brand. In addition to Berlin, other houses are planned in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Frankfurt. The first battery exchange station is also in Berlin. Another is preparing for the first customers in southern Germany on the A8 in Zusmarshausen.
Nio is starting in Germany with three models that had to change their type designation shortly before the Berlin event. The names ES7 and ES6 used in China were Audi too close to S6 and S8. Nio gave in, and now the all-electric trio ET7 will roll into the online showroom in Germany on October 16, ET5 in March 2023 and the SUV EL7 in January.
The ET7 is a massive five-meter sedan powered by a 480 kW (652 hp) electric motor and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The 75 kWh battery should enable a range of 445 kilometers – the 100 kWh battery is 580 kilometers. The ET5 has the same range and is powered by two engines with a system output of 360 kW (489 hp). The 4.90 meter long SUV ET7 has a range of 394 kilometers with the small battery and 513 kilometers with the 100 kWh energy dispenser.
In the design, Thomas created “a global design language” and deliberately avoided gimmicks. Inside, its Gulfstream past is unmistakable. Noble, cleanly processed materials dominate the generously dimensioned, bright room. “We wanted to create a living space on wheels,” explains Thomas, and he succeeded. The voice assistant Nomi acts as an assistant for the driver and passengers, and the digital department is taken over by the Banyan software developed by Nio, in which all conceivable assistance systems have been combined.
The subscription fees for the ET7 start at 1199 euros per month for a period of three years. Other more flexible subscription models are also possible. Incidentally, in Norway, where Nio has been on the road for a year, the sedan can also be bought and costs the equivalent of around 65,000 euros there. (Walther Wuttke/cen)