Chinese EV Maker Nio Launches New Models, Upgraded Battery Swaps
Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio Inc. unveiled two models at a glittering annual customer event on Saturday evening, expanding its lineup in a bid to grab a bigger share of the market as demand for cars in the nation slows.
At the weekend event in Hefei in central Anhui province, Shanghai-based Nio launched a revamped ES8, an iteration of the original electric sports utility vehicle it's been selling since 2018, and a new pure electric coupe dubbed the EC7.
With a starting price of 488,000 yuan ($69,800), the coupe targets buyers who want more space as well as sporty performance. The new ES8 will start at 528,000 yuan. Deliveries are expected to kick off in May and June, respectively.
Nio Day, first held in 2017, is a gathering for corporate partners, customers and media meant to foster brand loyalty and a sense of community around the carmaker.
Nio on Saturday also presented its latest generation of battery swapping stations, which allow drivers to quickly swap out their battery for a new one instead of recharging the existing one. Each of the upgraded stations allows a maximum of 408 swaps per day, and can store as many as 21 replacement cells.
In addition, the company demonstrated a power swapping pilot for highways, with which the driver can stay inside the car and leave it all up to the vehicle to automatically plan the route for changing batteries, driving to the closest available power swap stations through intelligent navigation, completing the swap, and driving out of the service area, back onto the highway.
About 4,000 participants from across China attended the gala, despite surging Covid cases in various cities. As many as 248 million people, or nearly 18% of the China's population, likely contracted
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