“Start the parking process.” We activate the button on the touchscreen. Our electric sedan ET7, the electric sedan of the Chinese automaker Nio, almost magically pulls forward and goes back again. Suddenly there is a rumble, as if the rear wheels were driving off a high curb.
But everything is going normally. We are now at Nio’s new battery changing station in Berlin-Spandau and have just triggered the battery change from the car display. Nio’s digital assistant “Nomi” warns us that vibrations and unusual noises may occur during the process. This is normal.
Ten screws for one battery
A soft blow passes from ET7. 43 sensors and lasers measure at the change station – however, when the tool is placed in the correct position, it is lifted by 15 centimeters. We’re still behind the wheel, watching all the screens go black. The hum of cordless drills is heard. Loosen the ten screws. A jerk, empty battery is out. To wait. A second scumbag; now a full battery has been inserted and screwed back on. Our ET7 tool was downloaded and the systems started working again after the auto-check was performed. As soon as the system’s traffic light turns green, we can hit the road again, similar to an automatic car wash.
Ghost takes about five minutes, after which we have a full battery back on board. With such exchange stations (Nio calls them PSS – Power Swap Station) as a unique selling point, the Chinese automaker is looking to take off in Europe next year. “PSS is our response to range fear and saves our customers half an hour of waiting time while charging,” says Lihong Qin, 46, co-founder and Chairman of the Board. However, Nio cars can be quickly charged up to 130 kW.
Battery upgrade for long distances
Since the vehicle batteries are changed, it is only rented. “There’s no point in buying a large battery for a long range that our customers rarely need,” explains Qin. “There are upgrades for that. For example, if you need to travel from Berlin to Zurich, you can order a larger battery for two weeks or a month and get it delivered at the next PSS.” There are 13 batteries in a changing station. They charge quite slowly, from 40 to 80 kilowatts. This saves the network and the batteries. Up to twelve exchange processes per hour and up to 288 per day are possible in a PSS. The station operates from 7 am to 10 pm.
To begin with, Nio offers batteries with a capacity of 75 or 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in Europe. Depending on the model, this corresponds to a range of 380 to 580 kilometers. An even larger 150 kWh battery will arrive next year for a range of around 850 kilometers. The 1,000-mile range Nio had previously promised was based on the old NEDC test cycle. But its 850 WLTP kilometers are also impressive.
Europe’s big show
Nio’s presentation at the start of Europe was also worth seeing. Founder William Li (48) was invited to a one-and-a-half hour show at the Berlin event venue Tempodrom. He presented his brand, which he founded in 2014, in front of approximately 1,300 guests, in a manner similar to the way Apple or Tesla present their products. Nio will launch in Norway in early 2023 with the ET7 and ET5 sedans and the EL7 SUV (sold as ES7 in China, renamed EL7 for Europe for short after a lawsuit from Audi) in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden in early 2023. .
Like batteries, cars can only be rented. There are different model options from 1 month to 60 months. At the cheapest rate, ET5 pays about 970 francs per month, ET7 1160 francs and EL7 1260 francs. This includes replacing the battery, provided you stay the same battery size. Nio wants to be present here in 25 European countries, including Switzerland, by 2025.
In the same time period, the Chinese want to set up 1,000 battery replacement stations, mainly in Europe. Nio will be open to sharing the technology with other manufacturers. Lihong Qin says there is a certain interest but no concrete talks. It would be a positive side-effect for the Chinese if Nio could establish itself as one of the largest battery suppliers in the industry due to compatibility.