China’s sporty-looking Model 3 rival offers battery swap, claims range in excess of 600 miles
The Nio ET5 is the Chinese automaker’s latest EV and is shaping up to be a rival to the Tesla Model 3 in its home market.
Announced at the automaker’s Nio Day event last week, the ET5 is a hatchback that measures 185 inches in length, meaning it’s about the same size as the Model 3, i.e. Also assembled in China for local distribution. The ET5 is scheduled to begin shipping in China in the fall of 2022.
The ET5 will launch with 75 kwh, 100 kwh and 150 kwh battery pack options. According to Nio, the largest package, called the Ultralong, will allow 600-mile range during the Chinese test cycle. However, that will likely result in a lower number in the EPA testing cycle.
2022 Nio ET5
A dual-motor four-wheel drive system that makes 482 horsepower should help the ET5 accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, according to Nio.
Nio claims the ET5 will ship with sensors and computers for limited autonomous driving on highways, urban areas, and maneuvering into the company’s parking lots and battery swap stations. The company says the feature will launch at an unspecified date in the future as a monthly subscription service.
Prices start at 328,000 yuan (about $51,540), and buyers can get 70,000 yuan ($10,985) off if they choose Nio’s battery subscription option. Nio demonstrated the power of this so-called Battery as a Service (BaaS) business model by offer an upgrade package for those going the BaaS route.
2022 Nio ET5
Nio also operates a network of battery swapping stations in China, and it recently partnered with Shell to expand both conventional charging and battery swapping infrastructures.
The automaker doesn’t sell cars in the United States, but it debut in Norway this early year. Nio plans to expand to Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark by 2022 and wants to be established in 25 countries and regions by 2025, according to the company’s press release.
In addition to ET5, Nio plans to launch Sedan ET7 in 2022. The current lineup also includes the EC6, ES6 and ES8 crossover SUVs. Its first production vehicle was the low-volume EP9 supercar.
