Chinese startup NIO has unveiled a new sport utility vehicle for the Chinese market. The electric SUV will enter serial production later this year with seating for seven and a swappable battery pack.
The NIO ES8 is a full-sized SUV with a 2-3-2 seating arrangement. An all-aluminum body and chassis underpins the vehicle, and it's powered by twin motors – one on each axle. An active air ride suspension and a battery pack that can be swapped out for a freshly-charged pack finish out the design.
NIO is otherwise scant on the details for this new SUV, whose exterior design is very similar to that of the Mitsubishi Outlander. The company says it's put thousands of test miles on the ES8 in Inner Mongolia and in Australia. NIO plans to launch the ES8 SUV at the end of the year, with deliveries beginning next year.
NIO has facilities and employees in several countries, including the United States, China, and Europe. The company recently received approval in California to begin road testing an autonomous vehicle. So far, the ES8 SUV has been promised only for the Chinese market.
The company is also now taking pre-orders on its EP9 supercar.Source: NIO