NIO stunned everyone when its EP9 set a Nürburgring
lap record earlier this year and now the company is moving onto more
traditional fare by detailing its ES8 crossover.
Unveiled earlier this year, the ES8 is a "high
performance electric SUV" that features a bold design which will likely
provoke strong reactions. While its styling won't win everyone over, NIO says
the model has an all-aluminum body and chassis as well as the "highest
amount of aluminum for any mass production car."
The seven-seat interior is decidedly more appealing
as it features high quality materials and advanced technology. Notable
highlights include Nappa leather upholstery, a digital instrument cluster, and
a large infotainment system with a portrait orientation. Owners will also find
a front "lounge seat" and an air quality system that includes an
activated carbon and HEPA filter as well as a negative ion generator.
Motivation is provided by two electric motors which
produce a combined output of 643 hp and 840 Nm of torque.
This enables the all-wheel drive crossover to accelerate from 0-100
km/h in just 4.4 seconds.
The ES8 is powered by a 70 kWh battery pack which
enables the model to have an NEDC range of 355 km. When the battery
is depleted, it can be swapped out for a fully recharged battery in
approximately three minutes. The company plans to build over 1,100 Power Swap
Stations in the future and they will be joined by over 1,200 Power Mobile
vehicles which can give the ES8 enough juice to travel up to 100 km after a ten minute charge.
The ES8 will come with NIO
Pilot which is described as an advanced driver assistance system. It uses a
total of 23 sensors including a trifocal front-facing camera, four exterior
cameras, five millimeter-wave radars, a driver monitor camera, and 12
ultrasonic sensors. Thanks to the various cameras and sensors, the crossover
has automatic emergency braking, traffic jam assist, and highway pilot. Other
features include blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition, and a lane
departure warning system.
Besides the high-tech safety features, the ES8 comes
equipped with NOMI which is being billed as the "the world's first in-car
AI system." NIO says NOMI is a "fun, expressive, and intuitive
companion that can listen, talk, and help drivers along the way."
In China, pricing starts at ¥ 448,000 (US$ 67,715) and
the company has plans to offer 10,000 Founder's Editions for ¥ 548,000
(US$ 82,824). The company will also offer a battery rental plan for ¥ 1,280 (US$ 193)
per month which will knock ¥ 100,000 (US$ 15,114) off the purchase price of the
ES8.
