Nio: New battery for 900km of range & European launch

According to founder William Li Bin, the Chinese electric car manufacturer Nio is currently working on a battery pack with a capacity of 150 kWh, which should enable ranges of over 900 kilometres. Besides, the plans for a European launch in 2021 may become concrete.

According to a report by CN Tech Post, Nio founder William Li Bin made the statement about the 150 kWh battery at a meeting of the ‘EP Club’, a club of Nio drivers. With such a battery, Nio would not only more than double the current range of a Nio ES6 (430 kilometres in the outdated NEDC), but would also match the range of combustion engines and hybrids.

However, the Nio founder did not provide any details about the battery. They made no statements about cell chemistry, cell supplier, size, weight or cost of the battery pack. Nio plans to hold the ‘Nio Day’ in Chengdu on 9 January 2021 – an event that actually takes place between the years. “CN Tech Post” expects the new battery to be presented during the event.

In its current models, the electric car startup offers batteries with 70 and 84 kWh, and a 100 kWh option may follow this year, which could meet the demand for higher ranges.

But demand seems to increase with the existing models: In October, more than 5,000 vehicles were built for the first time in the JAC-NIO Advanced Manufacturing Center. Specifically, they delivered 5,055 vehicles in October, exactly twice as many as in November 2019. With 31,430 vehicles in the current year, Nio has exceeded the corresponding period of the previous year by 111 per cent.

Besides, according to Gasgoo, the plans for a sales launch in Europe should become more concrete. In a project with the code name ‘Marco Polo’, Nio is said to have hired many employees for export business. The main focus would be on the two electric SUV models ES6 and ES8, Gasgoo suggests, of which 7,000 units are to be sold in Europe within two years. In China, Nio still offers the EC6 SUV coupe, of which only a three-digit number was sold in October; the ES6 and ES8 are the much more important models.

According to the report, the first ‘Nio House’ could open in Copenhagen. Besides, Nio may offer the “worry-free service package” and the “One Click for Power” service in Europe. Prices, exact dates and concrete scope of these service packages are not yet known. The company has also not confirmed the Copenhagen location.

Li Bin had underpinned Nio’s global ambitions in the summer. “Hopefully, in the second half of next year, we can start some small-batch exploration in countries where EVs are popular,” Li had said in August. “We would like to start with European countries.”

With reporting by Sebastian Schaal, Germany.

cntechpost.com (150 kWh battery), gasgoo.com (production), globenewswire.com (deliveries), gasgoo.com (launch in Europe)