NIO ET7/NIO
Price:
NIS 499,000
Competitors:
Mercedes EQE, BMW i5, Tesla Model S, Zikr 001
We liked:
performance, comfort, potential accessories for changing batteries
We didn't like:
the trunk is too small, human engineering, charging rate
Score:
8/ 10
It, the NIO ET7, has three bumps on the edge of the roof, right in front.
in the middle one with Lidar (laser radar), and on the sides cameras. It reminds a bit of an American truck with all the big lights on the roof, which is a bit funny when it comes to a new luxury Chinese car. But it's also a certificate of honor: in the end, this is the ideal location for these sensors, as high as possible possible, for the sake of improving the field of vision. At NIO, they did what was right, not necessarily what was the most beautiful. Spoiler: it is also felt positively when driving. The
Chinese NIO, founded only nine years ago by the serial high-tech entrepreneur William Lee, followed the model of Tesla as a technology company for the production of electric vehicles. Unlike Elon Musk, Lee is not involved in space launches, but his company already has 9 models in production compared to 5 at Tesla. 3 of them are already marketed in Israel, the ET7 saloon we drove, alongside the ET5 in the executive category and the ES8 as a crossover 7-seater electric. Two more crossovers, ES6 and ES7, will be launched in the coming months.
The importer is Delek Motors, an importer of Mazda, Ford and BMW, and unusually, it does so by parallel import through the NIO agent in Norway. Delek will also initially build two stations in Israel Replacement batteries, of which NIO has deployed more than 1,000 in China and Europe, and allow replacement in two minutes.Remember the idea of Shay Agassi and Better Place?
The Chinese implemented it in small, cheaper and more efficient stations, which allows the tram to be treated as a gasoline car in terms of refueling times.
This could be an interesting sales advantage when there is such a network here, because not every driver has the ability to charge the vehicle at home or at work.
Meanwhile the ET7 should speak for itself.
Shall we begin?
A rare case of favoring efficiency over beauty: the active safety sensors on the roof, like lighting on a truck/Wala! system, Audi Etzion
Design:
Apart from the sensors on the roof, this is another Chinese electric sedan, according to all the rules of the genre designed to build an aerodynamic vehicle.
At 5.1 meters long, 1.99 meters wide, 1.51 meters high and a whopping 3.96 meter wheelbase, this is a big car, with a lot of presence, but not the offensive kind.
Half a million shekels, but modest.
An offer not to be missed
Advance to Tami4's water bars and enjoy two months of experience
In collaboration with Tami4
Look Elon, dashboard for the driver.
What an invention!
In a circle above the dashboard: the personal assistant who makes smiley faces for passengers/Walla! system, Udi Etzion
The cabin: here too there is some restraint, far from the nouveau riche we have seen in some other Chinese luxury brands, with extensive use of natural materials such as wood and leather.
There is a 12.8-inch multimedia and operation screen, and also a digital dashboard (10.2 inches), again unlike Tesla and other smart brands that cram all driving and operation into one screen.
On the other hand, there is an excessive waiver of physical operation buttons, everything is done from the screen, which necessitates problematic wandering while driving between screens.
Luckily there is effective voice operation through the personal assistant NOMI, otherwise I would never have managed to open the charging hatch (why does it have to be electric at all, and not open by touching?).
Plenty of space in the back seat/Walla! system, Audi Etzion
Also like Tesla, and like Elon Musk, there is no cover for the panoramic glass roof, which is expected to be a hindrance in the summer.
Not all cleverness should be copied.
The quality is high except for an application that was installed in Israel to allow the use of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and suffers from a flickering display.
The seating is very comfortable, in the front and no less in the back.
It's a shame that a car of this size has a trunk with a volume of only 363 liters, like some super mini car at a quarter of the price.
Separate operating screen for rear climate control/Walla! system, Audi Etzion
Equipment: there is a choice between 20 and 21 inch rims, upholstery made of natural and recycled materials, panoramic roof, stereo with 23 speakers, 10.2 inch screens as a dashboard and 12.8 inches as an operation and multimedia screen, plus an overhead display for the driver and a 6.6 inch screen in the back , which allows passengers to control the lighting, the operation of the seats and the stereo.
There is also a massage in the extreme rear seats, heating and cooling, and even a perfume system, as well as an electrically retractable tow hook as standard.
Only 363 liters in the back, and unlike other streetcars there is no front trunk/Audi Etzion
Safety: the list is long and includes autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse travel, adaptive cruise control, warning of a vehicle in a dead zone, lane keeping and deviation correction, automatic high beam, warning of opening a door when a vehicle approaches and more.
Last year, the ET7 received the maximum score of 5 out of 5 stars in the new and stricter version of the European crash test.
Engine and performance:
with two engines that together produce 653 hp and also create a dual drive, this is one of the most powerful saloon cars in Israel, stronger than several sports cars, including the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911.
The performance is excellent, even when driving in economy mode which lowers the accelerations in order to improve the range, With nauseatingly fast accelerations in Sport Plus mode (3.8 seconds from 0 to 100 in the official data). You can overtake anything wherever it's allowed.
On the other hand, the 0-100 race went a little too far: these are performances that are much greater than the average driver , as can already be seen in the accident data of electric vehicles. NIO unusually offers, when choosing Eco mode to save electricity, to determine its acceleration rate: stay with the original figure, slow down to 5.9 seconds, to 7.9 seconds, to 9.9 seconds or for 13.5 seconds, which is really already excessive for the other side. Perhaps such a choice should be offered regardless of energy savings, even when the car is driven by a less experienced driver.
Fast charging at 125 kW, slow compared to competitors and the size of the battery.
You will have to wait 45 minutes to fill from 20% to 80%/Audi Etzion
Charging range:
the 100 kWh battery officially guarantees 580 km with the 20-inch and 505 with 21-inch rims, which were installed on the test vehicle.
In moderate driving most of the time, we achieved 450 km, still nice. When there is a battery exchange network, it will be truly unheard of. In the meantime, fast charging is possible with a relatively slow maximum power of only 125 kW. Slow charging is possible with a routine 11 kW, when some competitors already offer charging Slow at 22 kW.
Comfort and handling:
The ride is very quiet, and ride comfort is excellent thanks to the adaptive air suspension. Road handling is very good, with high grip and very little cornering.
But despite the excellent performance, this is not a sports sedan, with no feedback from the steering wheel. Braking was also Could be more biting, certainly for a car with such performance.
Doesn't scream "half a million shekels" and is significantly cheaper than competitors, even Tesla/Walla system!, Audi Etzion
The bottom line:
half a million shekels is a lot of money for an unknown Chinese brand, even if one that arouses a lot of interest in the world.
The ET7 justifies the prestigious positioning in terms of capabilities, accessories and performance level.
The human engineering will still make it difficult for long-time luxury customers to switch to it, but it is better than Tesla's, for example.
Unlike some even more expensive Chinese ones, it is imported by a BMW importer, and guarantees a high level of service: the price includes free treatments for 5 years, a 24/7 service center and the cars will be collected from the customers who will receive a replacement NIO for the time their car is in the garage.
Each customer will be accompanied by a personal service manager throughout the period of vehicle ownership.
The high price is a relative matter: this NIO is equipped and NIS 100,000 cheaper than the basic BMW i5, Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model S, and it is significantly faster than Germany, for example.
It's a bit like getting a price on a dress and a bag in a store in the State Square, but there is a saloon car for half a million shekels that you can define as a 'deal' - this is the car.
On the technical side: NIO ET7
Engine:
two electric motors, 653 hp, 86.6 kg
Gearbox:
auto, direct transmission.
Dual drive
Battery:
100 kWh
Maximum fast charging speed:
125 kW
Dimensions:
Length (meters):
5.1
Width (meters):
1.99
Height (meters):
1.51
Wheelbase (meters):
3.06
Weight:
2.380 kg
Performance ( Manufacturer):
0-100 km/h (seconds)
: 3.8
Maximum speed: (km/h):
200 km/h
Official combined range:
505 km
Test range:
450 km
Safety:
European crash test:
5 m - 5 stars (in 2023)
Active safety:
autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse travel, adaptive cruise control, maintaining the center of a lane, warning of a vehicle in a blind spot, warning of opening a door when a vehicle approaches, automatic high beam
Warranty:
3 years or 100 thousand km for the car, 8 years or 160 thousand km for the battery
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electric car