Along with the NIO ET5 Touring that NIO is bringing to Europe, the hot young Chinese automaker has also just introduced the EL6 for the European market, a small and elegant SUV/crossover. The NIO EL6 is a showstopper. It could be a top seller in Europe if NIO could ramp up production and spread its wings enough in terms of dealerships and service.
First of all, it’s got style. As much as any other vehicle on the market, it looks like a refined, modern, smart electric SUV. The all-wheel-drive SUV has a 150 kW front induction motor as well as a 210 kW rear permanent magnet motor, together providing a combined 360 kW of power, or 700 Nm of torque. That makes it quite quick. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds. What more does a human need, especially in an SUV?
It also has a heads-up display (HUD) and intelligent adaptive driving beam (ADM) headlights. Meanwhile, what is it missing compared to the Tesla Model Y, one of the continent’s top sellers? Perhaps the infotainment system is not up to the same level as far as what’s available on it, but NIO does have one of the best infotainment systems in the business.
NIO has more nice words to say about its new European SUV. “The EL6 adopts NIO’s pure, sophisticated, and progressive design language while showcasing its ‘Design for AD’ philosophy, which sees the brand’s watchtower sensor layout seamlessly blending with the vehicle’s roof, setting a new paradigm for the design of smart EVs.” Indeed.
You can learn much more about the EL6 in the following unveiling event for Europe:
But let’s get to two of the most important matters — the price and the range. The lower-end NIO EL6 with a 75-kWh battery has a starting price of €65,500 (with a battery) in Germany, and the 100-kWh battery option starts at €74,500. The former has a rated range on a full charge of 300 miles (483 km), while the bigger-battery option has a rated range of 529 km (328 miles) on a full charge.
The problem with the EL6 becoming a top seller lies here. The Tesla Model Y Long Range (533 km rated range) has a starting price of €54,990 in Germany. That’s nearly €20,000 more for the EL6 than for the Model Y with essentially the same driving range. And you can get the lower-range Model Y (455 km of range) for €44,890. The price difference here is the big problem NIO is facing. Of course, it can only bring down prices if it ramps up production massively. Yet, to ramp up production massively, it would need orders and proof of consumer demand for that many EVs. This is the conundrum. It’s the old “chicken and egg” issue.
So, yes, the EL6 could sell alright in Europe just on the fact that it’s a super nice, pretty, high-tech SUV. However, it needs lower prices to be competitive with something like the Tesla Model Y, or simply to be a top seller on the continent in general. We’ll see what happens.
All images courtesy of NIO.
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