Nio used its annual Nio Day event, held December 24 in Hefei, China, to unveil two new vehicles, one of which marks the launch of a new model range for the Chinese electric vehicle brand.
The vehicles included a redesigned ES8 mid-size SUV and a new EC7 mid-size SUV with a coupe-style roof profile.
It wasn’t until 2017 that Nio, often referred to as China’s Tesla, launched its first vehicle in the form of the original ES8. (There was also an EP9 hypercar, although this was a race car and only a handful of units were produced.)
Since then, Nio has launched the ES6, EC6, and ES7 SUVs, as well as the ET5 and ET7 sedans. The addition of the EC7 brings Nio’s lineup to seven vehicles.
2023 Nio EC7
The EC7 and redesigned ES8 are based on Nio’s latest EV platform, dubbed the NT2.0, which features air suspension and a twin-motor powertrain at the top-of-the-line, producing a combined 644 hp. That’s enough for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds for the EC7 and 4.1 seconds for the ES8. Battery options include 75 and 100 kWh units.
The new platform also includes hardware necessary for self-driving capability, including lidar and four Orin X computer chips. Nio said features that allow the vehicles to drive themselves in certain situations will be rolled out as updates as the technology is developed and validated. Nio plans to offer the features via a monthly subscription.
2023 Nio EC7
The EC7 has five seats in two rows, while the ES8 has six seats in three rows. In the ES8, the passenger seats have cushions that automatically raise to create what the company calls a “zero-gravity posture.” This is said to alleviate fatigue on long journeys. The EC7, meanwhile, benefits from a glass roof that spans almost 21 square feet and offers sound and heat insulation.
The EC7 starts at 418,000 renminbi (about US$60,000), although owners will need to take out a subscription for the battery. The starting price with the included 75 kWh battery is 488,000 renminbi ($70,000).
2023 Nio EC7
Similarly, the ES8 starts at 458,000 renminbi ($65,800) with a battery subscription and 528,000 renminbi ($75,850) with the included 75kWh battery.
Nio now has one of the most diverse EV offerings in the industry. In October, the company started exporting to a handful of European countries and on December 12 celebrated building its 300,000th vehicle. Nio also said it plans to have a presence in more than 25 countries by 2025, although it hasn’t said if the US will be one of them.
