Rutger Middendorp tests new cars for Bright. Also watch his videos.
Many new electric car brands from China are entering the European market. We already had MG, Seres, Aiways, JAC, Xpeng and we expect BYD and Nio this year as well. While the Japanese and Korean brands introduced themselves in Europe with prices that were significantly lower than those of European car manufacturers, the Chinese generally do things differently.
Most Chinese-made electric cars are not remarkably cheaper than those of the established brands. The MG ZS EV and the MG4 are exceptions to this, but most brands offer just a few more standard options to squeeze in, but are not significantly cheaper. A real unique selling point (USP) is often missing.
Nio doesn’t go out of his way to be cheap either. You have to pay 64,000 euros for the cheapest. You have already lost almost a ton for the EL7 with a large battery. But Nio does have a clear USP: the battery can not only be charged, but also exchanged at a battery exchange station. In about 5 minutes the empty battery is removed and replaced by a new one.
That also means that you have to make a fundamental decision when purchasing: do you want to have the battery yourself or rent it? If you buy the battery yourself, you cannot change it at an exchange station. If you rent it, you can, but then you have to pay at least 169 euros every month. Sounds like a no-brainer, but the nice thing about the battery change is that you can use a 75 kWh battery for your commute and a 100 kWh on vacation (and later even a 150 kWh).
The car can be driven with a subscription with a fixed term and fixed monthly amount, as with any other automaker, but also with a flex subscription, where the monthly amount decreases every month because the car depreciates and you can return the car whenever you want.
Nio explicitly presents itself as not Chinese, but as a ‘global brand’: the design center is in Munich, the chassis is done in Oxford, the digital technology in Silicon Valley, but the head office is in Shanghai and the cars are also built there.
I haven’t been this excited about testing a new car in ages, because everything about the Nio ET7 is really new. The chassis, the infotainment, the battery technology, the powertrain: I have not been able to taste anything in another car. At a time when the Opel Corsa E, the Jeep Avenger and the Citroën e-Jumpy are almost the same car, that is refreshing. I will keep you informed in the coming weeks.
Rutger Middendorp tests new cars for Bright. Also watch his videos.
