NIO have announced that the company has received European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA) for its NIO ES8. This certification will allow the Chinese carmaker to produce its flagship ES8 electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Europe and offer license plate registration in all European Union (EU) countries.
The EWVTA certification marks an essential foundation for NIO’s entry into Norway, where the ES8 will be produced, and the European market at large. Back in May, NIO announced its entry into Norway, which will be the company’s first overseas market.
NIO will deliver its first model, the seven-seat NIO ES8, in September this year. This electric SUV offers a range of 310 miles (500 km). NIO will also bring Norwegian users its direct sales and service network encompassing NIO House, NIO App for European users, Power Swap Stations and NIO Life.
NIO has said that it also plans to bring its new ET7 electric saloon car to Europe after the ES8. The range-topping ET7 features a whopping 150kWh battery that they say will offer an impressive 621 miles (1000km) of range. These figures are based on China’s NEDC testing protocol, whereas Europe’s WLTP test would likely give a slightly lower figure.
NIO will also offer the ET7 in 70kWh and 100kWh battery versions. These will offer 310 miles (499km) and 435 miles (700km) of NEDC range respectively. The ET7 is expected to be available in 2022.
It will be interesting to see how NIO’s electric cars are received in Europe. In China, the ES8 is hugely popular because it offers seven seats and is such good value.
