Test: Nio ET7 – Why German premium brands are concerned about this Chinese EV

Nio? I’ve actually never heard of that…

In the autumn of 2022, we first became acquainted with Nio in the Netherlands. The Chinese brand was founded in 2014 and launched its first electric model for small-scale production in 2016. Now the time is ripe for the crossing to Europe, and Nio certainly does not take half measures. First of all, the ET7 appeared on the road, a large electric sedan with a very complete equipment. A few months later, the ET7 was joined by the EL7, a large SUV à la BMW iX. And recently there is also the somewhat smaller ET5, also a four-door sedan that should make life difficult for the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Initially, Nio only supplied its models via a lease construction, but now you can also become a Nio owner yourself. There is a choice to rent the battery pack from Nio, or to purchase the batteries yourself. When you have opted for the rental battery, you can start ‘swapping’. In other words: exchange the empty battery pack in a special Nio Power Swap Station for a full one – if necessary with a smaller or larger capacity. The ‘swap’ of the battery is fully automatic and after about 5 to 10 minutes you can continue your journey. Renault had once devised a similar battery exchange system for the Fluence ZE (who remembers it), but due to lack of sales success, it never got off the ground. At the moment there are only a handful of swap stations in the Netherlands. Nio’s goal is to be able to offer a comprehensive network as quickly as possible. Nio offers this unique swap service free of charge until the end of 2023.

That Nio ET7 looks very similar to a Tesla Model S.

Nio has opted for an expressly streamlined design. The result is a silhouette that does indeed have the necessary similarities with the Tesla Model S, but also, for example, with another new EV from China, the Xpeng P7. Apparently such an elongated sedan shape is ideal for the lowest possible air resistance. Striking are the bumps and bumps above the windscreen, in which the sensors, cameras and radar of all kinds of driver assistance systems are incorporated.

That bump is not graceful.

It is also difficult to ignore the similarities with the Tesla Model S on board. The design is minimalistic, buttons are missing and even the grilles of the air conditioning are invisible behind the wooden moldings. A screen behind the wheel, a large touchscreen in the middle – the recipe is known. Of course, it is not easy for a new car manufacturer to claim a piece of the market where renowned brands such as Audi, Mercedes and Porsche – and Tesla – rule the roost. But thanks to the sleek design, the materials used and the neat finish of the interior, the Nio ET7 certainly does not make a bad impression.

But how do you get the Nio ET7 out of place when there are so few buttons?

By learning your way around on the central touchscreen. Many different functions can be operated on this. As far as we are concerned, Nio has gone too far here: even for simple actions such as adjusting the steering wheel or the exterior mirrors, you have to swipe through menus. That requires too much attention, which you cannot devote to traffic at the time of action. A volume button is also missing. You can turn the radio up or down using the multi-function buttons on the steering wheel, or swiping through an on-screen slider that pops up once you’ve pressed the volume icon.

Unfortunately, we experienced several times that the slider disappeared before we could swipe with our finger. As a result, we pressed a function that was briefly covered by the slider and then reappeared. Consequence: we accidentally serve something we didn’t want to serve at all. This is annoying and directly detracts from the premium experience.

Nice idea, but it doesn’t always work flawlessly

You can also operate the Nio partly with your voice if desired, knowledge of the English, German or Norwegian language is an advantage, because the system does not yet work in Dutch. By calling ‘Hi Nomi’ you activate the voice control and quite easily turn down the volume or turn up the heating or give the navigation system a destination. It does not work flawlessly, but Nio promises rapid improvements in operation via updates ‘over the air’.

The Nio ET7 will probably have a lot of space to offer.

With a length of 5.10 meters and a wheelbase of 3.06 meters, the ET7’s dimensions are between the Mercedes EQE and EQS. The amount of interior space is therefore very spacious. You sit like a king in the front, in a sturdy armchair that is electrically adjustable in all directions and provides heating, ventilation and a massage function as standard. You also sit generously on the back seat, you can even slide the co-driver’s seat all the way forward for extra legroom in the rear right.

Even tall people are fine.

The contents of the trunk are downright scanty. It does not fit more than 367 liters. The only extension is in the form of a ski hatch and a standard towbar. Among the large electric sedans, the Nio ET7 is a true champion towing trailers: 2,000 kilos are allowed on the hook.

Well, Nio certainly hasn’t skimped on the standard equipment of the ET7!

That’s right, the option price list is very short. A dark blue paint, 21-inch light metal and a set of winter tires are the only extras for which you pay a surcharge. There is not even a price difference between the 75 and 100 kWh versions. Furthermore, the Nio ET7 has a panoramic glass roof, automatic air conditioning with air quality sensors, air suspension with adaptive shock absorption, a combination of leather upholstery, microfiber and wooden trims (in three different colours), an extensive audio system, an even more extensive multimedia system and a complete arsenal of safety features. and driver assistance systems. Prices of the ET7 start at just under €73,000, both for the 75 kW and 100 kW version. For that money you rent the battery from Nio, at €289 per month. If you want to buy the battery, you pay €84,900 for the car with 75 kWh or €93,300 for the 100 kWh version. A competitive pricing, if you look at what the car has to offer. Battery swapping is not an option in that case.

And now we want to drive…

Good idea. The Nio ET7 always has two electric motors on board, which together peak at 653 hp and 850 Nm. A lot of power, with which the 2,354 kilo weighing sedan is lightning fast. When you have selected the Sport Plus program in the central touchscreen, you can accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds thanks to the four-wheel drive without traction problems. If you choose Sport, the ET7 has 5.9 counts to sprint to one hundred. No less impressive is the intermediate sprint from 80 to 120 km/h: the Nio does that trick in 2.4 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 200 km/h.

Neat, albeit somewhat minimalistic interior.

In Sport and Sport Plus you feel that the shock absorbers react clearly stiffer than in the Comfort and Eco programs, but the air suspension continues to smoothly follow the course of the road surface. The steering is fairly distant, in a slightly faster corner you feel that a whole mass is moving. The domain of the ET7 is definitely the highway. Although you quickly discover that the semi-autonomous track assistant lacks the necessary refinement. Some turns are far from smooth.

And how sparingly does the Nio use its power reserve?

In the ET7, the front electric motor is a permanent magnet synchronous motor and the rear one is an induction motor. A synchronous motor has a higher power density – it is more compact and lighter per horsepower – but it is more expensive than the induction motor. The slightly cheaper induction motor has the advantage that it offers less resistance when it rotates idle. With a limited power requirement, for example at a constant speed, the synchronous motor can do the job on its own, while the induction motor hardly bothers you.
Nio reports a WLTP consumption of 19.0 kWh/100 km (WLTP), we achieved an average of 21.6 kWh/100 km during the test period. A small difference. However, that cannot be said if you look at the promised range of 580 kilometers and the actual range of 439 kilometers. We should also note that we tested the Nio at an outside temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. The Nio ET7 with its 100 kWh battery takes all the time for fast charging; it does not reach a higher charging capacity than 130 kW.

Not very large and unfortunately a compartment for the charging cable is missing.

The choice of AutoWeek Test coordinator Marco Gorter

There is not much to choose from with the ET7, but the choice you have is a very important one: buy all or a subscription? Since the unique selling point of this car is its battery change option, the latter option seems the most obvious.