We are in the middle of the electric vehicle boom, and as such, it seems like a new EV company pops up nearly every other day. China is particularly fertile ground for this automotive revolution.
Chinese company Nio—formerly NextEV—made quite an impression with its EP9 supercar, a slick exotic EV that needed to make no apologies for its powertrain, or its looks. Now, the company has introduced the ES8, a crossover intended to compete readily with European electric and hybrid offerings.
The model is the company’s first series production car. It’s a sleek three-row vehicle with a wheelbase similar to the Audi Q7. Boasting a fluid but muscular build, Nio leans minimalist with slight strip-style headlights, an aluminum structure, and taillights reminiscent of the BMW i8. One of the most intriguing features is the addition of Nomi, the brand’s artificial intelligence platform.
The ES8 gets its power from two electric motors producing a total of 644 hp. All that oomph results in a zero-to-62 mph leap of only 4.4 seconds. However, the vehicle boasts a comparatively reduced range of just 220 miles per charge. Nio will have to work on that a little bit.
Although the ES8 is only available in China currently; the company plans to introduce a version for U.S. buyers.