Chinese EV major Nio has officially entered Europe with the launch of its flagship SUV the ES8 in the nordic country, Norway. It is also launching its first Nio House in Oslo which will open to the public today. The Chinese electric car maker has two battery variants on offer - the 75 kWh and 100 kWh model and there is also a third variant in the works which will provide a 150 kWh capacity. Both the models that are being launched are dual-motor, all-wheel-drive systems with 400 kW of power and 725 Nm of torque. The car can do 0-100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds though this is more than the Tesla Model X takes to achieve the same levels of speed.
Nio is also introducing battery as a service sales model for which it charges a monthly fee for the use of the battery and other services related to it. "Those who subscribe to BaaS will be able to enjoy services of the Nio Power Swap network and flexible battery upgrades. BaaS users choosing the standard-range battery can have a deduction of NOK 90,000 from the car purchase price and only need to pay a battery subscription fee of NOK 1,399 per month. And the price deduction for the long-range battery stands at NOK 160,000 with a monthly subscription fee of NOK 1,999," Nio said of the service.
"Nio adopts a global pricing strategy. After adjusted for logistics, local taxes and operating costs, the ES8 has a starting price of NOK 609,000 with the standard-range battery (75 kWh), and NOK 679,000 with the long-range battery (100 kWh) with which the ES8 boasts a WLTP range of 500 km," it added in a statement.
Nio is launching its SUV in Norway
Nio has ambitions of installing 20 power swap stations in Norway by the end of 2022 where it managed to cover the five largest cities in the country. The first station in Norway will have both battery swapping facilities and charging stalls which will be launched at the end of next month. "
"Nio's Service and Delivery Center in Oslo will open in October. With a floor space of 1,800 square meters, it offers services including vehicle delivery, maintenance and repair, mobile service fleet and car pick-up and delivery service. Nio will also provide worry-free service in the other four cities in Norway together with authorized service partners," it added.
It will have stiff competition in Norway with the likes of Volvo, BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz and Tesla offering EVs in the market.
"Today marks a significant moment in the history of NIO. Today the very first European users have the opportunity to experience what it means to be part of the NIO community. Norway is the starting point of our journey in Europe and beyond. Our vision is clear: to provide our users with seamless and worry-free services as well as supreme and joyful user experiences. We offer to be their friend and partner on their personal journey to a brighter and more sustainable future. From our NIO Houses, such as the first one in Oslo, through to our battery swap stations, our worry-free Battery-as-a-Service subscription models and our convenient online services, Being part of the NIO community will bring joy, friendship and meaningful interaction," said Alexander Schwarz, the CEO of Nio Europe.
