Nio ET5 Touring at a glance: this electric station wagon wants to conquer Europe

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“Wow, so stylish!” We certainly shouldn’t be alone with our reaction when we first saw Nio’s newest electric car dump. At best we’d expect a station wagon version this cool from Audi, BMW or Mercedes – but from a Chinese start-up still well established in Europe? Nio is closing a real gap in the market with the 4.79-metre-long electric station wagon ET5 Touring: Apart from a few future works, such as the Activesphere Concept, Audi has as few electrified station wagons as the BMW with the i4 or the Mercedes with the EQE. both are currently only available as a regular sedan.

The ET5 Touring offers everything known from the ET5 sedan version that was introduced in the spring: Customers (although not yet in Switzerland) have the option to buy or rent the battery pack. The base price in Germany, equivalent to 46,500 francs, is the same as the sedan. The purchased battery costs an extra 12,200 francs for the version with the smaller 75 kWh battery. The larger 100 kWh battery costs an extra 20,500 francs. Market launch in selected European markets will take place in the fourth quarter of 2023. By 2025 at the latest, Nio wants to be present here in 25 European countries, including Switzerland.

Battery is better to rent than to buy

Anyone who is truly willing to buy the battery for a lot of money has a practical downside, in addition to the financial expense: You can’t automatically shorten the normal charging stop time to five minutes by going to Nios’ specially developed exchange stations. battery replacement. This can also become a problem for long-distance drivers, as the Nio’s 140 kW maximum DC charging capacity is far from convincing for a new car in the upper mid-range electric class. For comparison: BMW’s i4 charges a maximum of 195 kW, Tesla’s mid-range models 3 and Y even charge up to 250 kW.

Anyone who does not buy the battery pack pays the equivalent of 165 to 283 francs per month rent in Germany. For many, however, the car subscription model is probably the easiest way to call a Nio your own. This is where the Chinese automaker expects the biggest demand in the long run. Depending on the version, costs range from CHF 1,095 to CHF 1,220 per month.

Powerful all-wheel drive

When it comes to driving, there is no freedom of choice. It doesn’t matter, because the ET5 Touring is nothing but underpowered: the two electric motors on the front and rear axle together deliver 480 hp (360 kW) and 700 Nm of torque. All-wheel drive accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds with hissing at a standstill and brakes automatically at 200 km/h. According to Nio, the large 100 kWh battery should cover up to 560 kilometers – with the smaller 75 kWh package it should be just over 400 kilometers.

Practical use is at least as important as the driving characteristics of a station wagon. The ET5 Touring’s datasheet lists a trunk volume of between 450 and 1300 liters in the trunk. That’s significantly more than a sedan, but not huge for a vehicle of this size. Optionally, a trailer connection that can lift a maximum of 1400 kilograms is available.

Practical: The luggage compartment offers shelves, storage nets, hooks and a portable load compartment light for use outside the vehicle to transport purchased or leisure items. Also, the Nio ET5 Touring shines with a heated windshield wiper area, roof rails and a standard 1.32 meter long panoramic sunroof that brings plenty of light into the interior if desired. The electric combination rolls on 19- or 20-inch wheels.

Source: Blick