In NIO they are not afraid of anything and continue with their accelerated release sheet. The year 2023 will be especially active with numerous facelifts and several new models, including a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y.
NIO knows very well that, to conquer the market, it needs to offer electric cars at a reasonable price and with excellent qualities. To this day, Tesla continues to be a benchmark in international markets. Its products are the most demanded and sold. The Tesla Model Y is one of the two best-selling electric cars in the world, along with the Model 3. Its arrival on the international scene has brought about a revolution and in China, they want to stand up to it to get a part of your sales. And at NIO they know very well how to take the throne from them.
The NIO range is growing fast and well. The Shanghai-based company has several open fronts. On the one hand, the opening of new vital markets for its future, such as Europe and the United States. While in North America their presence is still very discreet, in the Old Continent they have already deployed their commercial network in numerous countries. On the other hand, they are in full expansion of their commercial offer. Sales are picking up pace, but they need models that are capable of standing up to the two most popular Teslas out there. The NIO ET5 is the direct rival of the Tesla Model 3, now only one rival is missing for the average SUV.
Last Christmas Eve, NIO presented several important news in a single session. The NIO EC7 is its hottest new coupe-shaped electric SUV. The NIO ES8, the company’s first model to arrive in Europe, has been renewed from head to toe to continue showing great value for money. In this framework of presentations and announcements, the company warned that 2023 will be very intense in terms of news. During the first half of the year, NIO is expected to renew three models based on the NT 1.0 platform, including the ES8. Together with them, two more cars based on the new NT 2.0 structure will be presented.
The new chassis will allow NIO to implement new mechanics and battery packs. The fact of positioning itself as a rival to the American SUV gives us many clues as to what we can expect. As it is an SUV, its official name will begin with the letters ES. Numerous recognized sources suggest that it will be called ES5. If we take into account that the Model Y is 4.7 meters long and that the ES6 is currently the smallest SUV in the house with a measurement of 4.85 meters, the name may be that. From its arrival, it will become the smallest model in the crossover range.
Regarding the mechanical offer, it is early to determine what structure the future NIO ES5 will present. Multiple combinations of motors and batteries can be expected, but what is certain is that the Chinese will want to bet on long approved distances with which to overcome the 533 kilometers of the Model Y. In that section, we can take a look at the new EC7 and ES8, capable of offering up to 940 kilometers of range. The ES5, being smaller, will not be able to offer such large battery formats, but the lower weight will allow it to compensate for the loss. The first figures that are considered are around 800 kilometers of range. Like the rest of the range, its battery can be exchanged in just a few minutes.
The price will be another decisive factor so that NIO can position itself as an alternative to the Model Y. The American model has a starting price, in Spain, of 51,200 euros, a figure that can fluctuate over time. Internal sources have reported that the company intends to offer a starting price of around 330,000 or 340,000 RMB, which, in exchange, comes to around 44,600 or 46,000 euros. The difference with its rival will not be very big, but even so at NIO, they hope to be able to snatch a few sales from one of the most popular electric companies in the world, especially in China. We are talking about a product that should arrive in Europe at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.
