Nio ET7, Nio EL7 and Nio ET5 to the Netherlands

We don’t mention Nio and Tesla in the same breath for nothing. Nio is not just an EV manufacturer, but also seems to actually pursue innovation and technologically advanced solutions. In China, Nio already has a fairly extensive line-up of models, but it was not yet clear which of them would come to Europe. Now it is.

After a first ‘pilot’ in Norway, Nio is now expanding to Germany, Denmark, Sweden and… the Netherlands. It does that with three models, all three of which are on Nio’s NT2 platform. These are the Nio ET7, Nio EL7 and Nio ET5. That seems like a pretty random bunch of names, but it makes more sense when you know that “ET” stands for sedan and “EL” for SUV.

EL7

The latter is new by the way. The car that is now called EL7, we were previously presented as Nio ES7. This is the latest and most modern SUV from Nio’s line-up. The car is 4.91 meters long and therefore about the same size as an Audi E-Tron. Its luggage space is also eerily close, with 658 liters behind the rear seat. There is no shortage of power here: the rear electric motor delivers 409 hp, the front 245. The car sprints from 0 to 100 in the best case in 3.9 seconds. The basic version gets a battery of 75 kWh, good for a range of 394 km. The battery of the Long Range version has a capacity of 100 kWh, which gives this large car a WLTP range of 513 km. The Nio EL7 has five seats and offers a towing capacity of 2,000 kg at best.

Nio EL7

ET5

The Nio ET5 is a relatively compact sedan that competes with the Tesla Model 3. With its windscreen that extends far down, typical streamline shape and small sedan tailgate, it also resembles that a bit. A big difference with Tesla is the extent to which the cars can be personalized. For example, Nio offers no fewer than six different interior colors for the ET5 worldwide, while Tesla sticks to black or white. There are also nine paint colors for the exterior, against five for the big rival.

The ET5 is also a four-wheel drive, which produces a total of 480 hp. There are no exact specifications such as a WLTP range yet, but Nio wants to offer really immense batteries in this relatively compact model. That starts with a fairly market-based 75 kWh, but 100 and even 150 kWh should also be possible. This should give the car a range of no less than 1,000 km. With 75 kWh, the ET5 will reach 445 km, with 100 kWh, the ET5 will theoretically reach 580 km.

Nio ET5

ET7

The third and largest model in the European Nio line-up is the Nio ET7. That car is more than five meters long and clearly focuses on – how could it be otherwise – the Tesla Model S. We were able to go out with the ET7 for a while and were quite impressed at the time. The ET7 has 653 hp and, like the ET5, can eventually be equipped with a 150 kWh battery, good for a similarly large range. For the time being, there is a choice of 75 or 100 kWh and Nio uses the range specified for the ET5 for those versions. The ET7 is also the model that will be available first in our regions. The first episodes should be a fact this month. The Nio EL7 will follow in January 2023, the Nio ET5 in March.

Unique to Nio is that the manufacturer believes in changing batteries. That is why there will also be battery exchange stations with the cars, called Power Swap Stations (PSS) by Nio. In 2022 there will be 20, but in 2023 this should already increase to 120. Changing the battery should not be seen as the ultimate alternative to fast charging, but it does mean, for example, that it should be possible to use an extra large battery for a long (holiday) ride. battery pack installed.

Nio ET7

In the Netherlands, Nio will collaborate with Kwik-Fit for maintenance and repair. Forty locations have been selected as ‘Nio approved Service Center’, two of which have been designated for more complex jobs. These are located in the vicinity of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Service cars are also driving around, with technicians who can carry out minor repairs on site, following the example of Tesla. Claims settlement is arranged through the Schadenet locations. You can view and sniff the cars in a ‘shop’ that Nio calls the Nio House. Amsterdam and Rotterdam will have a Nio House, later possibly supplemented with more locations.

Lease only

Initially, Nio will only offer its cars through a lease construction, the Nio Subscription. The ET7 costs at least €1,299.77 per month, the EL7 €1,369.89 and the €1,089.28