- The updated NIO ET7, which was revealed earlier this week, has achieved an impressive distance of 1,070km (664 miles) on a single charge of its 150kWh battery pack.
- The company tried out three different routes between Chinese cities, with the ET7 managing to crack the 1,000km barrier on all three.
- The impressive achievement can partly be attributed to the ET7’s new semi-solid state battery, packing a higher energy density than the conventional lithium-ion battery setup seen on most electric vehicles.
The NIO ET7 proves its worth as a long-distance EV cruiser
Quoted range figures are one thing, but going out into the real world, with unpredictable factors such as traffic and weather, gives a much more realistic guidance on how far an EV will be able to travel. NIO tested three routes for the experiment, including Kunming to Zhanjiang, Beijing to Hefei, and Shanghai to Xiamen. The ET7 passed the four-figure distance on all three, with distances of 1,070km, 1,062km, and 1,046km respectively. It’s worth noting however, that the best-performing drive had a total altitude change of -1,875 metres, compared to a -3m altitude change on the 1,046km effort.
On the Kunming to Zhanjiang route, approximately 70% of the journey was completed on NIO’s ‘Navigate on Pilot’ software, highlighting the benefits of cruise and autopilot systems for maximising range. For comparison, the 1,046km route utilised the Navigate on Pilot system for just 37% of the drive. These impressive stats can be matched by the SAIC’s new IM L6 saloon, which also utilises semi-solid state battery tech, with a 130kWh unit quoting a range of 1,000km (621 miles).
The 150kWh battery is the largest available on the new ET7, with lithium-ion 75kWh and 100kWh units also available. The 150kWh unit is exclusive to China for now, and is only available as part of the company’s battery-as-a-service (subscription) model.
