China Tesla Show

No other Chinese automaker presents its brand with as much style as Nio. On the annual Nio Day, which is always held in a different location, the brand presents and celebrates itself for its fans with new products and an otherwise only Tesla-only attitude to life.

Out of ten applicants, nearly 100,000 Nio students chose the metropolis of Hefei, China, to host Nio Day this year. According to the US model, all sales from the regulated aid market will benefit the Anhui Charitable Federation. As arrogant as ever, Nio CEO William Li said: “By maintaining the great mood in the Nio community, we will continue to deliver products, technologies and services around the world in 2023 that exceed user expectations.”

The new mid-size SUV EC7

The star of this year’s event is the new Nio EC7. The coupé-like mid-size SUV is powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 652 hp (480 kW). From a standstill, it accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and is electronically locked to 200 km/h. Thanks to the aerodynamic body (cD 0.23) and standard air suspension, it is not only economical, but also extremely comfortable when traveling. Cool: Just under two square meters in size, the panoramic ceiling can be shaded in five stages.

The second generation of the Nio ES8, which was first shown in 2018, was also introduced on Nio Day. The SUV has the same drive and is based on the same platform as the EC7. The ES8 is particularly comfortable thanks to its two-chamber air suspension; passengers can sit in one of the four comfortable seats or in the third row of seats. The middle armrest of the second row of seats acts as an executive center, aiming to provide a special driving experience with digital level and storage level.

The new version of both EC7 and ES8 comes with newly developed matrix LED headlights that can project different patterns or animations. They also have automatic dimming supported by the intelligent driving system with lidar and cameras. Both models feature a digital cockpit with Nomi assistant, 7.1.4 sound system, ambient lighting and 12.8-inch screen.

Automatic battery change

At least in China, both the Nio EC7 and ES8 offer the ability to autonomously change lanes on the highway via autopilot. In addition, the vehicle can automatically go to the power replacement station for battery replacement using the navigation system, automatically replace the battery and independently return from the charging park to the highway.

Sales will start in China in May, and two new Nio electric crossovers will arrive in Europe in the mid-term. European Nio students can then look forward to not only the battery replacement option, but also the new 500kW fast charger, which enables the underbody 100kWh battery pack to be boosted from 10 percent to 80 percent in 20 minutes. So it will be interesting to see if Nio boss William Li can find fans on our continent as well.