Recently founded electric car startup NIO has unveiled the ES8, its new vehicle for the China market that is planned for serial production later this year, as well as announcing it will start taking pre-orders of its flagship EP9 supercar.
The latter became the fastest electric car in the world by setting the track record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in October of last year.
The Chinese company has today revealed it will begin pre-selling the supercar, following an initial batch of six EP9s that were produced exclusively for investors. A second batch of ten EP9s are now set to follow, priced at a staggering $1.48 million USD each.
The new ES8, meanwhile, with an overall length of five metres, is a full size 7-seater electric SUV that gets a 2-3-2 seating arrangement on the inside. Additional details include an all-aluminium body and chassis, front and rear motors with electric all-wheel drive, and active air suspension.
Company boss William Li claims the vehicle’s swappable battery will provide a charging experience that surpasses refuelling at petrol stations. The manufacturing and supply chain that will produce the ES8 is already said to be in place.
NIO engineers say the car has already covered “thousands of miles” during its development phase, including in Yakeshi in Inner Mongolia, where temperatures can reach -30 degrees Celsius as well as Melbourne and Mildura, Australia, where temperatures can reach over 40 degrees Celsius.
The new ES8’s exterior also incorporates NIO’s current design language, with an “X-bar” face and signature “Spark Beat” tail lights at the rear.
To be manufactured in a joint venture with Changan Auto, the ES8’s official launch will take place at the end of this year, with deliveries expected to begin in 2018.
