During the NIO Day event in China – at Beijing Wukesong Arena, to be precise – the new EV startup announced the official launch of the NIO ES8 Electric SUV in the Chinese market. This is a very important product, not just because of its excellent specs and details, but also because it is a threat to the biggest EV maker of all, Tesla.
It is only available in China for now, but when NIO ES8 reaches the global market it is going to challenge the authority of Tesla Model X. And since these EV has fairly similar builds, an upcoming mid-size sedan could similarly render the Model 3 rather pointless. The reason for that is very simple: price. The ES8 launches in China for the equivalent of $65,000, thereabouts. In comparison, the cheapest Model X starts at $75,000. What is more, the ES8 offers some truly ingenious battery solutions to reduce range anxiety and charging hassle.
The battery rental plan for NIO ES8 Electric SUV offers battery upgrading services, along with quality assurance, roadside assistance, car connectivity, and nationwide charging services. There is also NIO Power, a plan in which you can swap the empty battery for a full one in just three minutes, and Power Mobile, a brand-new power service product developed by NIO, which enables an ES8 to run 100 kilometers after charging for ten minutes. So it is fair to say you cna cover long distances in this car with peace of mind.
As for the power and performance, NIO ES8 features two electric motors on the front and rear developing 480 kilowatts of power and 840 Newton meters of torque sent to all four wheels. Zero to 100 km/h in this car takes only 4.4 seconds. The ES8 is equipped with a 70-kilowatt-hour liquid-cooled battery pack comprised of cutting-edge VDA square cell batteries, promising a range of 355 kilometers. As for the notable technology features, the ES8 introduces NOMI, the world’s first in-car AI system and Mobileye EyeQ4 system, featuring Highway Pilot, Traffic Jam Pilot, and automatic emergency braking.
