The new NIO ET7 should achieve a range of 1,000 kilometers.
Tesla seems to have become out of reach for many automakers. CEO Elon Musk has not only risen to become the richest man in the world; Tesla also regularly sets new records with its electric cars. But now there could be serious competition: The up-and-coming e-car manufacturer Nio presented the ET7 electric car on its “Nio Day” on January 9th, which should achieve a range of up to 1,000 kilometers with a solid-state battery and a battery replacement system.
The electric sedan is a direct competitor to the Tesla Model S. The Chinese carmaker plans to deliver the model from the beginning of 2022. It is the manufacturer's first sedan.
Two concepts in particular make the competition for Tesla and Porsche prick up their ears. The Nio ET7 comes with a solid battery and a battery replacement system. The changing system in particular should be practical for the user and save charging processes in everyday life. A clear message to other e-car manufacturers. So far, such concepts have been declared as future-oriented, but rarely has anyone been as close to implementation as Nio.
The Chinese manufacturer plans to have 500 such charging stations by the end of 2021, which can swap over 320 battery packs per day. The swap should be done in less than three minutes.
Overall, the NIO ET7 electric car is available in three different battery configurations, all of which are based on solid-state batteries. The energy density is impressive: up to 360 watt hours per kilogram. Tesla's Model 3 uses batteries that have 260 watt hours per kilogram.
The compact design of the batteries plays a trump card here: more power should fit into the floor pan. The corresponding battery pack should therefore be 100 kilowatt hours, which is sufficient for 700 kilometers. The largest package with 150 kilowatt hours brings a range of 1,000 kilometers. Whether Nio will manage to pick up range skeptics remains to be seen, but the pure numbers speak for the Chinese carmaker.
