Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company NIO has unveiled details of its products and services for Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden at its European launch event in Berlin. This expansion follows its entry into the Norwegian market last year.
Three new models derived from its NIO NT2 platform, the ET7, EL7 and ET5, will be available together with innovative subscription models to encourage EV use. Through its products and services, NIO will build a community to deliver the best user experience.
NIO announced that the ET7, its high-performance flagship saloon, is available to order now in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, with deliveries due to start on October 16.
NIO also confirmed that pre-orders for its EL7, a mid-large electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), and the ET5 mid-size electric saloon, are open now, with deliveries set to start in January and March 2023, respectively.
The three NIO models for Europe are derived from NIO’s latest NT2 platform, engineered to create an experience beyond expectations thanks to their design, performance, intelligence, safety and flexible battery solutions.
This is great news for European electric car drivers with NIO offering both good value electric vehicles and a complete package to support them. This includes the ability to swap batteries rather than conventional charging and the ability to upgrade them as needs change.
Autonomous and Flexible
NIO’s ‘design for autonomous driving’ and ‘second living room’ concepts have led to the use of innovative and environmentally friendly materials. Performance is impressive too with an acceleration of 0-62mph (0-100kph) in just four seconds and a stopping distance from 62-0mph (100-0kph) of 34 metres.
Thanks to the NT2’s advanced chassis system, coupled with comprehensive tuning for each model, NIO’s cars offer a dynamic yet comfortable ride.
NIO’s cars are all designed from conception for global markets and to meet five-star safety requirements. NIO’s innovative CSU (Chargeable, Swappable, Upgradeable) architecture enables both charging and swapping of batteries, with the ongoing opportunity to benefit from the latest battery technology or flexibility to upgrade the battery capacity.
Intelligent Driving
All three models are equipped with NIO’s latest Banyan intelligent system. This full-stack technology comprises the vehicle computing platform, operating system, vehicle intelligent hardware, intelligent algorithms and applications. These will continue to evolve via firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates.
With the help of intelligent hardware such as Aquila, NIO’s super-sensing system comprising LiDAR, ADAM and NIO’s supercomputer platform with a computing power of up to 1,016T, will be able to offer advanced safety assistance and automatic driving. This includes scenarios such as driving on high-speed carriageways, in urban areas and parking.
At the same time, the three models also come with the NIO PanoCinema panoramic digital cockpit as standard. This is powered by the world’s first onboard artificial intelligence assistant, NOMI. Combined with the Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Sound System, 256 ambient light colours, a 12.8-inch AMOLED central control screen and high-performance AR and VR functionality, the interior is a truly immersive space.
Subscription Model
New for Europe is NIO’s subscription model. This is now open for users in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. NIO Subscription is a service designed to offer maximum flexibility and personalisation to encourage EV use.
With terms starting from one month to 60 months, users will be able to choose the vehicle that best suits their needs. For all subscription models, NIO provides a worry-free experience by offering comprehensive insurance, maintenance, winter tires, a courtesy car and battery swapping, as well as the flexibility to upgrade battery services.
Users of NIO Subscription are part of the NIO community, able to share their life beyond the cars and celebrate moments with the brand, such as access to NIO Houses and events.
Easy Charging and Servicing
NIO is committed to a comprehensive battery charging system in the new markets. At present, NIO has access to 380,000 charging points in Europe accessible with NIO NFC cards, and a European version of NIO’s charging map has also been introduced.
In 2022, NIO plans to build 20 Power Swap Stations (PSS) in Europe. In 2023, this number is expected to reach 120. The PSS located in Zusmarshausen, between Munich and Stuttgart is in operation, and the PSS in Berlin is nearing completion. By 2025, NIO aims to build 1,000 PSS outside of China, most of which will be in Europe.
NIO will continue offering a direct-to-consumer model for serving European users. NIO House in Berlin is about to open, and NIO announced it is building further NIO Houses in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Gothenburg.
NIO has established a network of authorised service centres in all major city areas of Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. Via the NIO App, users can access car data and book service appointments.
Community Models
Alongside NIO’s expansion in Europe, it will develop the community models that have been intrinsic to its success in China. This includes community user groups such as the User Advisory Board (UAB) in Norway that already has 270 members. UABs help NIO to improve the user experience through sharing ideas on service quality, charging, in-store experience, and other aspects of using a NIO car.
NIO confirmed its commitment to increasing R&D activity in Europe. This July, NIO created the Berlin Innovation Center, with its focus on digital cockpits, autonomous driving and the R&D of new energies.
In September, the first Power Swap Station manufactured in NIO Power Europe Plant located in Hungary rolled off the production line. This plant also serves as the manufacturing centre, service and R&D facilities for NIO Power in Europe.
The teams from the NIO Power Europe Plant and the Berlin Innovation Center will sit alongside growing groups of engineers at NIO’s R&D and design facilities in Oxford and Munich.
William Li, NIO founder, chairman and CEO, said: “Serving users in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden is an important step in realising NIO’s 2025 plan and offering our unique user experience in more countries around the world.
“Our compelling products, game-changing charging and battery swapping services, alongside truly innovative and flexible subscription models, will change the landscape of EVs. Our commitment to the region marks the start of NIO’s next chapter in our global development.”
