For those who love all-electric cars and haven't heard of NIO, you may want to keep your eyes peeled. The Chinese car company is designing the world's smartest, most autonomous electric vehicles, most of which are still under wraps and being tested for future release.
The lineup boasts a range of electric cars, from one of the fastest EVs in the world to smart electric SUVs. Whatever your preference is for car abilities, performance, and style, NIO most likely has something to suit your needs. If you are an EV lover, then you are going to want to see NIO's full lineup.
Let's take a closer look at what EVs NIO has to offer.
Who Are NIO?
NIO is a Shanghai-based car manufacturer focused solely on designing and producing electric cars. The company was established in 2014, and on the day of opening, they released their first car, the EP9 sport.
They decided to open in 2012 after the founder realized that the automotive industry was on the cusp of change. They foresaw the future of electric cars and how they would be the defining segment of the car industry's next chapter.
The company struggled to find enough funding for some years to produce its dream car lineup. But, in 2020, they managed to secure enough funding to manufacture everything they had ever dreamed of. Let's reveal.
The NIO ET7 Will Be A Lightweight Saloon Car
The ET7 is NIO's first saloon car. After Tesla unveiled their next edition, the model S, which could offer a range of 600 miles, NIO followed suit. The two electric vehicles are releasing in the same year, 2022, and have the same range.
NIO's idea behind the ET7 was to provide their customers with something more lightweight and autonomous. That's right, the ET7 is fitted with advanced driver assistance features that allow the car to drive itself. Within the design, there are 33 high sensing units that can sense the road, traffic, and surrounding objects. Its autonomous driving feature is powered by an advanced computer system capable of generating 8GB of data a second.
What's more, is that the 150kWh battery can offer up to 621 miles in between charges. With a range like that, the NIO ET7 will likely be in close competition with the next Tesla Model S.
The NIO EC6 Is A High Performing Vehicle
The EC6 is NIO's third production model, which was released in September 2020. It is the company's first electric coupe SUV, which took inspiration from their initial SUV, the ES6. The new EC6 offers drivers a ton of space and comfort while being a top range performer.
Performance is everything for this car and is what makes it truly stand out against the rest. The design consists of two electric motors, a 160kW permanent magnet motor at the front axle, and a 240kW induction unit at the rear. Together, these allow the car to reach 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Its main 110kW battery offers up to 370 miles in range, which is less than other models, but its speed makes up for it. If you are looking for a show-off EV and love speed, the EC6 is a perfect fit.
The NIO ES8 Is A Larger, Lightweight Option
The NIO ES8 is one of the company's larger electric cars. This 7-seater is a full-size Sport Utility Vehicle. It was produced and released in 2018 exclusively for the Chinese market.
The four-wheel-drive is designed with 96.4% aluminum, making it super lightweight and sleek in appearance. To align with its usual design, the NIO ES8 provides passengers a lot of space and entertainment with a 10.4-inch central touchscreen and the world's first-ever artificial intelligence personal assistant. The NIO assistant can learn your behavior patterns, acknowledge your favorite electric charging stations, and even take selfies.
The ES8 is fitted with a 70kWh battery pack offering a range of up to 220 miles. As you can tell, range has significantly improved since the release of this ES8 in 2018, and it is now almost triple what it was before.
The NIO ES6 Is The Smart Choice
NIO's ES6 is an all-round smart electric SUV. It is their second model, which was released in the summer of 2019, though it only sold 15,000 models in the Chinese market. This may have been down to its heaviness, which is surprising at its made mostly from aluminum. The batteries in the first NIO vehicles were unexpectedly heavy, and this model weighs a massive 2.5 tonnes.
The ES6 is available in two battery pack sizes, 70 or 84 kWh. The latter offers its drivers up to 317 miles in range. Although the car is heavy and not as impressive in range as other models, the ES6 is a powertrain. The car can reach top speeds of 125 mph and achieve 0 to 60mph in 4.7 seconds.
The NIO EP9's Selling Point Is Speed
The EP9 is NIO's first-ever car. It stunned the world when it set a world record for providing the fastest lap in an electric car on the Circuit of the Americas, Shanghai International Circuit, and Circuit Paul Ricard tracks.
This two-seater sports car only managed to sell 16 models. Six EP9s were sold to NIO investors for £2,500,000 each, while a further ten were produced and sold to the general public.
It gained a lot of attention when it debuted in London's Saatchi Gallery, which is a real tease seeing as so few models were produced for sale. The EP9 can reach 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 2.7 seconds and reach top speeds of 217 mph.
Next Up Is The NIO EVE
The Eve is NIO's concept car that began production in 2020. It has been a working prototype since 2017, with the idea that it will be primarily an autonomous vehicle but can be manually driven if chosen.
The exact features and design ideas remain unknown, but it appears that the NIO Eve will be able to fit up to six people. We are waiting to find out more about its battery power and performance, so keep on the look out for fresh details.
In summary, NIO has not quite hit the mark for the global mass-market, with most models being exclusive to the Chinese market. Nonetheless, the lineup is pretty unique, and unlike anything we've seen before.