Shanghai-based Nio has lifted the veils off their
second production electric vehicle, the ES6 midsize all-electric SUV. The ES6 marks Nio’s entry into a more affordable market segment, something
that theoretically should give a strong boost to the brand’s sales. Nio, often
referred to as China’s Tesla, describes the ES6 as a “high-performance,
long-range, smart electric SUV.”
The performance bit comes from the dual-motor setup
that offers up to 544 PS and electric all-wheel drive in the
range-topping version. It’s not a typical combination, though. The ES6 uses a
high-efficiency permanent magnet (PM) motor with an output of 218 PS and a high-performance induction motor (IM) that makes 326 PS.
The former is responsible for medium and low-speed
daily driving, while the latter kicks in to provide great acceleration
performance and high speed. Nio maintains the ES6 is the world’s first EV that
uses a PM motor and IM motor and claims it is an efficient combination that
saves costs and offers strong power.
Speaking of power, the ES6 is capable of sprinting
from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 200
km/h. Those are more than respectable numbers, as is the driving
range of 510 km according to the NEDC test procedure. This number
is for the optional 84 kWh battery pack; a smaller 70 kWh unit from the ES8 is
standard.
While the company doesn’t say how much the ES6
weighs, it does mention the SUV’s bodywork is made entirely of aerospace-grade
aluminum while some structural parts of the chassis are built from
high-strength carbon fiber. Design-wise, the ES6 looks a lot like the ES8, both inside and out.
It’s slightly shorter and narrower, at 4,850 mm and 1,965 mm, respectively. The wheelbase is shorter as well, but at 2,900 mm it’s quite generous, allowing five- and seven-seat configurations.
The cabin features a massive portrait-oriented
touchscreen powered by the NOMI in-car AI system, a flat-bottomed sports
steering wheel, sports seats, and Microfiber suede headliner, among other
things. A Lounge Seat and Nappa leather interior are optional, as is an intelligent
fragrance system.
The Nio ES6 starts at RMB 358,000, the equivalent of US$ 51,800, before subsidies. However, that’s the price of the model with the
smaller battery and a dual-motor setup consisting of two 160kW motors (320 kW /
214 HP in total). The range-topping 400kW version starts from RMB 398,000
(around US$ 57,600) with the 70kWh battery and RMB 448,000 (US$ 64,850) with the 84kWh
battery. Orders can be placed starting December 15, with Chinese deliveries
beginning in June 2019.
