At NIO Day 2021, which took place recently in Suzhou, China, the company unveiled its new ET5 mid-size smart electric saloon. This is NIO’s most compact car to date which they say blends performance with the luxury of space and the joy of driving.
It has muscular chiselled forms and a rear ducktail spoiler that underline its sporty intent. It features soft-close doors and frameless windows that create cleaner lines and improved aerodynamic efficiency.
The ET5 has a 4.7 meters long sleek-looking exterior that seamlessly integrates high-performance autonomous driving sensors into its curvy body lines. These curves also help to produce a low drag coefficient (0.24Cd) for an efficient drive.
The ET5 features a 75kWh standard range battery, that will offer over 435 miles (700km) and will also be available in a longer-range version that adds 100kWh of power. This will offer an impressive range of over 620 miles (1000km).
The NIO will impress most when it comes to acceleration hitting 0-62mph (0-100kph) in just 4.3 seconds. This is thanks to its motor architecture that features a 150kW induction asynchronous motor in the front and a 210kW permanent magnet motor at the rear to offer a peak torque 700N.
With NIO’s in-house-developed high-performance four-pot brake calipers, the stopping distance from 62mph (100kph) is just 33.9 metres.
The ET5 features the latest NIO Autonomous Driving (NAD). With NIO Aquila Super Sensing and NIO Adam Super Computing, the ET5 will gradually achieve a safe and reassuring autonomous driving experience for scenarios such as highways, urban areas, parking and battery swapping.
NIO’s new ET5 has also been designed to meet the stringent five-star C-NCAP and Euro NCAP standards. This is achieved using an ultra-high-strength steel-aluminium hybrid body with a torsional stiffness up to 34,000N·m/deg.
Prices start at RMB 328,000 (£38,847/$51,437/€45,530) before subsidies, and RMB 258,000 (£30,561/$40,460/€35,813) with BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service). Deliveries are expected to start in September 2022.
During NIO day the company announced that after entering Norway with its ESB electric sports utility vehicle, it will enter Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark in 2022. Plus, NIO will establish its presence in over 25 countries and regions worldwide by 2025.
William Li, NIO’s founder, chairman and CEO, said: “The year of 2021 is full of challenges. With a positive and optimistic attitude and outlook, NIO has grown together with its users.
“In 2022, we will continue to double down on product and technology development, accelerate the deployment of our service network, and enter more markets globally. We are confident about the road ahead.”
