For electric car buyers to benefit from the German Strömer Premium “environmental bonus”, their model must be within a certain price range. It should also be included in the Federal Office for Economics and Export Control (BAFA) list of eligible electric vehicles. The first model of the Chinese start-up NIO can also be found there recently.
NIO is already quite successful in its domestic market, now the company is expanding into Europe. The premium sedan ET7 will be the first to be sold in Germany this year. The BAFA listing already shows the price before the manufacturer’s announcement: €69,900. With a net list price of 40,000 to 65,000 euros, there is a subsidy of 7,500 euros as part of the environmental bonus – 5,000 euros from the state, 2,500 euros from the manufacturer. However, this only applies to distributions and approvals this year, the federal share will be reduced to EUR 3000 in 2023.
It remains to be seen when and with what technical data NIO will hand over ET7 to customers in this country. It is already known that the sedan is 5101 millimeters long and 1987 millimeters wide. The wheelbase is 3060 mm. The ET7 is based on the second generation of NIO’s electric car platform, which the company says has been designed with a focus on long-distance performance and high efficiency. In China, the series is offered with three battery packs for different categories. According to the Chinese standard CLTC, the maximum distance per charge should be significantly less than approximately 1000 kilometers per local WLTP driving cycle.
The Chinese ET7 is powered by a 480 kW (653 hp) all-wheel drive system with an electric motor at the front and one at the rear. The output of the front electric motor is 180 kW (245 hp), the rear 300 kW (408 hp). The specified acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds should also apply here. An adaptive chassis that works with navigation data and sensors brings performance to the road. Braking is done with high-performance Brembo brakes.
Other highlights of the ET7 advertised by NIO include advanced self-driving functionality available as a subscription, a spacious interior with multiple screens, a heads-up display and a sound system with 23 speakers and a total output of 1000 watts. It also promises advanced, stable connectivity for all passengers. The interactive personal digital assistant NOMI, which is accessed via voice control, is also part of the device.
NIO has said that with the ET7 it is targeting the Model S less from competing Tesla, but primarily German premium cars such as the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 or Mercedes E-Class. The company wants to beat the competition in this country with better service including battery replacement stations like China.
