Nio to launch ES6 on May 24

Nio ES6 was unveiled to the public during the Shanghai Auto Show and it received a very warm welcome from the public. At the time the company did not disclose the official launch date and did not talk about prices of the new electric SUV.

According to local news, Nio is planning to launch the ES6 on May 24. The news reporters got that information after visiting several Beijing Nio stores. The show and test vehicles are arriving at the showrooms within days and will be officially available from the launch date.

Customers who ordered the new ES6 first will have priority for test drives. The new updated ES6 will only be available in the Sport trim with both Performance and Signature versions now reserved for the larger ES7.

The Nio ES6 is based on the new EV 2.0 platform that substantially improves on the previous technology. Although the ES6 is going to be the cheapest Nio on the market, the company is refusing to engage in the ongoing price-cutting campaigns and is standing firm by its pricing. The CEO reiterated the position of the company and refused to be dragged into the price war.

The previous ES6 Sport model was priced at $55,840 (RMB 386,000) and in the first eight months of last year was responsible for 46% of Nio’s sales - that proves how important for the company and how popular it is with customers. Some Nio ES7 (EL7 in Europe) owners are disappointed with the ES6 which they feel closes the gap between the two models and devalues the ES7. They even formed a complaint group and are demanding compensation from the company.

Preorders for the ES6 have already started, and customers were invited to place a RMB 5,000 deposit to lock the production slot. The updated ES6 shares its powertrain with the ET5 sedan - two electric motors with a combined output of 360 kW which is 40 kW less than the outgoing model. The previous model was slightly smaller but we are talking literally millimeters of difference.

The beauty of Nio vehicles is the 10-year warranty without any mileage restrictions, the ES6 gets on top of that 6 monthly battery swaps free of charge, and the internet connection is free for life. When you add to it the expansive network of Nio battery swap stations across China, the ES6 starts looking like a very compelling choice.

Via