Nio EC7. Competitor of the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback
The Nio EC7 is an electric coupe-like SUV with 645 hp and a range of 490 to 635 km, depending on battery capacity. In the future, it is going to be equipped with a single CATL solid-state battery, which guarantees a range of 940 km according to the Chinese CLTC standard. This is the seventh model from the Chinese automaker NIO, which continues to create more new models and explore the international markets. A large, premium electric coupe-like SUV is now the most dynamic SUV in the automaker’s EV lineup, a competitor of the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback, the 2022 updated version of which can travel up to 600 km without recharging.
The seventh most dynamic EC7 except the electric sports car, the Nio EP9, released in 2016 , in the batch of only 16 units. In the same year, the Nio EP9 became the fastest production model in the world, having completed the Nürburgring loop in a record time of 06:45.900!
It is not yet known if the new Nio EC7 will appear outside of China, but given that its closest ‘relative’, the Nio ES7, is already sold in Europe as EL7, the EC7 can also explore other markets. It may appear in Europe already in 2023. It is not known when (and if) it will arrive in Israel. In China, the SUV will appear in May 2023 at a price of 68,800 dollars, a more expensive version with extended range starts at 78,000 dollars, but you can save money by buying a car without a battery by renting it. In this case, the cost starts from 60,000 dollars, the subscription fee for the battery will be 140 or 240 dollars per month, depending on the capacity.
Exterior
In fact, the new Nio EC7 is a coupe-like version of the ES7 model (sold as EL7 outside of China). In short, the EC7 is characterized by a pitched roof with panoramic windows, which has no sliding section or closing curtain. A single glass surface of 1.94 square meters has an electrochromic spacer with a choice of five levels of transparency.
Both SUVs are based on the second-generation NT2 platform: an air suspension with adaptive shock absorbers (double wishbones at the front and multi-link at the rear) is installed as standard, which allows you to adjust the clearance to the floor in the range of 90 mm. The standard equipment of the 2023 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback will also include air suspension with the possibility of varying the ground clearance in the range of 76 mm.
A large vehicle with a length of 4,968 mm, a width of 1,974 mm and a height of 1,714 mm has an equally impressive wheelbase of 2,960 mm. It is similar in size to the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback, even slightly larger. At the same time, the trunk volume is only 441 liters (1,449 liters with the rear row folded down), which is relatively small for a vehicle of this size. But the developers claim that this is the most aerodynamic SUV in the world: the declared Cd coefficient is only 0.23. A retractable wing is integrated into the edge of the fifth door.
Interior and equipment
The interior of the Nio EC7 almost completely copies the ES7. The design is modern, done in a corporate minimalist style and very pleasing to the eye. The finishes are high quality and rich, including the Nappa leather. The equipment includes a 12.8-inch multimedia screen, a 10.2-inch digital dashboard screen and another overhead display. There is a NOMI Mate 2.0 voice assistant and many other online services. The Aquila advanced security system is based on 33 different sensors, including LiDAR, 5 radars, 11 cameras and V2X technology. All of this is powered by an NVIDIA DRIVE Orin chip. The extended ‘semi-autopilot’ capabilities will be available via remote software updates.
Dynamics and driving range
The new 2023 all-wheel-drive Nio EC7 will be offered with the same powertrain as the ES7 model, with a 245-hp engine mounted on the front axle and a 408-hp engine in the rear. Two electric motors are capable of producing a total of 653 hp and 866 Nm: the SUV will need only 3.8 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h, the maximum possible speed is over 200 km/h. However, such power is available only in Sport Plus mode, while for other modes it is limited to 645 hp, and acceleration occurs in 5.7 seconds. Braking distance with reinforced Brembo front brakes with 6-piston mechanisms will be 33.9 meters (from a speed of 100 km/h). The new Audi e-tron 55 Sportback is also equipped with two engines and four-wheel drive: a front engine produces 170 hp and a rear engine produces 190 hp, forming a total power of 360 hp. The maximum power reaches 408 hp and 664 Nm. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h is 5.7 seconds. The maximum speed is limited to 200 km/h.
At the start of sales, the Chinese coupe-like SUV will be offered with two batteries of different capacities: 75 kWh, which provides a range of 490 km or 100 kWh with a range of 635 km. All indicators are measured according to the Chinese optimistic CLTC standard, so in practice the driving range will be clearly less. The battery can be replaced at a special service station in less than 2 minutes. Of course, this is only possible in China. Each of these ‘interchange’ stations, according to NIO, is capable of serving 400 cars per day.
In the future, the manufacturer promises a new battery with a capacity of 150 kWh manufactured by CATL. It will be manufactured using semi-solid technology cells with a high energy density of 360 kWh per kg, around 50% more than today’s best lithium-ion batteries. With this battery, NIO guarantees a range of 940 km (according to the Chinese CLTC standard). But still, it’s a lot! The 2022/2023 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback can travel up to 600 km.
Today, the Israeli market offers the pre-restyled first generation Audi e-tron Sportback. The coupe-like SUV is equipped with a 360 horsepower twin-engine powertrain and all-wheel drive. The driving range is 409 km. The cost starts from 547,037 shekels (as of the end of 2022).
