Against all odds, finally, the Chinese startup NIO will not replace its ES6 model with the new ES7. Even though both have very similar dimensions (they measure 4.85 and 4.91 meters long respectively), they will continue to be sold in parallel; in fact, the company is working on an update for the oldest.
The renewed NIO ES6, which has already been spotted during its development tests, will start to use the new NT2.0 platform, an architecture that we can already find in all of the company’s new releases. From an aesthetic point of view, it will not change too much, adopting thinner headlights and cleaner-designed bumpers.
The most outstanding modification that can be seen in the spy photos is the appearance of a LiDAR on the roof, which we can also find in the rest of the models based on the NT2.0 platform. This sensor, together with the new high-definition cameras on the sides, will make it compatible with the NAD (NIO Autonomous Driving) semi-autonomous driving system.
After the recent update of the ES8, the only NIO vehicles that continue to use the old NT1.0 platform are the ES6 and its “coupe” version EC6. The rest of their lineup (ET5, ET7, ES7, EC7) uses the new architecture. Hopefully, after the release of the new ES6, the EC6 will not take too long to update.
NIO has five SUVs and crossovers in its range
It is striking that NIO is not concerned about possible overlaps between the different members of its range, since taking into account that the ES8 is 5.10 meters long, we can see that the manufacturer has five SUVs and crossovers (ES6, EC6, ES7, EC7, ES8) of very similar size.
Furthermore, we must not lose sight of the fact that all-electric cars based on the NT2.0 platform are practically identical from a technical point of view (for example, they have the same 75, 100, and 150 kWh capacity battery packs). Therefore, between the cheapest (ES6) and the most expensive (ES8), there are hardly any real differences.
This situation could go further in the future, as rumors suggest that NIO is already working on a hypothetical ES5/EC5. Given that the ET5 is 4.79 meters long, the new duo would bump into the ES6/EC6 and ES7/EC7. Is there a real demand that justifies the deployment of so many virtually identical models? Only time will tell.
