Nio invites all automakers to use its battery swap technology
For an 8-year old car company Nio has quite a track record. It has been expanding its offering in Europe, it has been growing in China and in other markets and its own technology is the envy of many other automakers.
The company confirmed that the ES8, ES6 and EC6 models will be upgraded to the new NT 2.0 EV platform in the first half of the next year. The refreshed flagship 2023 ES8 will be unveiled during the Nio Day on December 24 in Hefei, China.
The other Nio EVs - ET7, ES7 (sold in Europe as EL7) and ET5 - are already built on the latest NT 2.0 platform and have been launched in Europe. Initially the buyers had only a subscription option but the company quickly backtracked on that idea following public response. The company now offers both subscription and outright purchase.
Nio admitted that its plans to build 20 battery swap stations in Europe before the end of this year are facing unforeseen roadblocks. The company did not fully appreciate the complicated local regulations and associated costs. Despite the initial delays, Nio is still pushing ahead and wants to have 120 stations across Europe by the end of 2023.
The company is still holding off its debut on American soil but according to Mr Lihing, the company director, Nio is preparing to launch in the US.
Nio’s Chinese premium car market dominance is quite staggering, the company is responsible for 77.6% of electric car sales with a price above RMB 400,000 ($57,300). Its cars reached an average price of $66,800 and surpassed Mercedes, BMW and Audi.
The company sees as its limit of growth, it believes it can increase its sales and market penetration even further in the premium segment but its growth will be much smaller. To address that, Nio will launch a new brand aimed at the mainstream market - cheaper cars in much higher volumes. The Alps brand is rumored to offer cars starting under $43,000.
Nio has a rather bright outlook, the sales of EVs in China are growing exponentially. So far this year nearly 4 million BEVs have been sold, the sales are expected to grow to 20 million vehicles a year. The company just celebrated its 300,000th EV manufactured and it plans to deliver it to the customer on January 1.
Possibly the biggest take away from the Media Day was the announcement made by Mr Lihong about the battery swap technology. The company believes it is the best way to increase EV adoption across many markets and wants other automakers to use its technology. Mr Lihong confirmed that the battery swap technology from Nio is open to other automakers and other companies as well.
Nio has been making waves from day one really, the company has been always at the front of the EV revolution and its many moves point to a company that doesn’t just want to sell its cars, it actually wants to promote change. It is refreshing, it is good to see Tesla sharing its Superchargers and Nio sharing its battery swap stations. Never mind the similarities in approach, the results are what matters. Sharing technology means faster progress.
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