When it comes to EV start-ups, NIO seems to be heading in the right direction. In just five years, the Chinese electric car company has released five models. This is an impressive achievement considering the years the company has been in existence. The four vehicles that NIO currently offers include three crossovers, a large saloon and a hyper-EV car, the EP9.
The other models in NIO’s current lineup are the EC6 Coupe crossover, ES6 crossover medium-sized, full-size ES8, and flagship ET7 that will arrive in Chinese showrooms by early 2022. But NIO does not stop there as the company has just unveiled its sixth model. The ET5 neighborhood, it shoots for attraction to the mass market and Tesla Model 3 sales.
In terms of design, it looks similar to its big brother, the ET7. Perhaps this is not surprising since the ET5 was written with aerodynamics and efficiency in mind as the larger living room. However, there are subtle differences in the lights and front bumper. Most notable are the longer fog lamp housings and air vents in the corners. Also, the back is shorter and has a more rounded tail. If you’re curious about what the backpacks on the roof are for, it’s for the semi-autonomous driving system.
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For those who are curious about dimensions, the ET5 measures 4,790 mm from bumper to bumper. Its width stands at 1,960 mm, while it rises to a height of 59 mm. Meanwhile, the wheelbase of the ET5 stands at 2,888 mm. With this data, it can be safely said that it is at the larger end of the compact executive market.
When moving to the interior, the subject is similar to most appliances today. There is not much way to buttons, and more screens and open spaces instead of buttons. At the center of the stage is the large information and entertainment screen, which is more square than rectangular. It also has a 10.5-inch flat screen that serves as the device cluster. Ambient lighting contains 256 colors, while audio is provided by the Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround system.
Not only that, the ET5 also has something called PanoCinema. According to the company, they call it a panoramic and sweeping digital cockpit. It includes their AR and VR technologies and the automaker’s partnership with NREAL. NREAL has developed AR glasses exclusive to NIO, and it will be interesting to see them in action.
And now, to the power system. The NIO ET5 uses a two-motor system, and there are three battery options available. The combined output of these engines is good for 483 hp and a torque of 516 kg. The battery options are 75 kWh, 100 kWh and 150 kWh.
NIO claims that the ET5 can make the sprint from 0 to 62 km / h in 4.3 seconds. As for range, the Chinese government data stands at 341 miles with a 75 kilowatt package, about 435 miles with a 100 kilowatt battery and about 621 miles with a battery 150 kilowatts.
The company says it will start supplying ET5s to customers by September 2022. Apart from China and Norway, NIO will sell the ET5 in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark in 2022. There are no mentions of UK plans for now.
Keyword: NIO ET5 goes up in the air, to face Tesla Model 3 head to head