Chances are high that you’ve never heard about Nio, which is a Chinese automaker specializing in designing and producing electric vehicles. In fact, as surprising as it sounds, Nio is one of the global leaders in the EV segment with almost 1,000 battery swap stations in China and a growing business in Europe. One of the brand’s latest models is the ES7, which will go on sale on the Old continent next year marketed as the EL7.
This electric sport utility vehicle was recently filmed by our friends and colleagues at Wheelsboy, which were also kind enough to share an exclusive gallery of the model with us. You can watch their eight-minute review at the top of this page and above, you can find nine photos of the tested example. But let’s talk a little more about this electric SUV from China.
Gallery: Nio EL7
The EL7 is a five-seat family vehicle with a conservative exterior design that still manages to look somewhat distinctive in the sea of SUV models. The vehicle rides on Nio’s new platform for electric vehicles, though on a more general level, it shares several core components with its predecessor. You can easily find design resemblances with other Nio models, including the thin headlights at the front and the coast-to-coast LED strip at the back.
The similarities are even more visible inside the cabin where the interior layout basically mirrors the design of the ET5 sedan. There’s a pair of screens – one for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainment system on the center screen – plus standard heated, cooled, and massaging leather seats. A 23-speaker premium audio system also comes at no extra cost.
Powering the EL7 is a system with two electric motors that deliver a peak output of 644 horsepower (480 kilowatts) and 627 pound-feet (850 Newton-meters) of torque. There’s an optional 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack that is good for about 385 miles (620 kilometers) at a single charge measured by China’s CLTC cycle. Pricing in the People’s Republic varies between $64,000 and $72,000 and in Germany, the electric SUV will go on sale with a starting price of €73,900 or about $78,500 with the current exchange rates.
