The Chinese automaker Nio is continuing its expansion in Europe with new models, but in an effort to increase profitability, the company has decided to stop providing free battery replacements.

The Nio ET5 Touring was revealed the week before as the company’s first waggon. It is a waggon version of the ET5, which is a car that is comparable in size to the Tesla Model 3 that was introduced in 2021. Nio’s ET5 sedan was already in competition with the Product 3 in the company’s home market, but the inclusion of a waggon body shape is likely to increase the vehicle’s appeal in Europe, where waggons continue to be a common vehicle body style.

 


In Europe, consumers will have the option of purchasing an ET5 Touring equipped with either a 75-kilowatt-hour (kwh) battery pack that offers a WLTP range of about 270 miles or a 100-kwh pack that increases the range to 347 miles. Nio has not yet disclosed pricing information for Europe; however, consumers will be able to reduce the overall cost of purchasing a vehicle by leasing the battery from a battery subscription provider.

Touring model 2024 Nio ET5

Nio claims that the Touring will go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds thanks to its dual-motor all-wheel drive system, which produces 482 horsepower.

The ET5 Touring measures 188 inches in length and features a wheelbase that is 113.7 inches. According to Nio, this results in an increase of cargo space of 45.9 cubic feet when the back 40/20/40 split-folding bench seat is folded down. This is a respectable amount of space for a contemporary waggon.

A panoramic glass roof that almost spans the length of the inside is also included, and it comes with a dimming option in case the sunshine becomes too harsh to bear. The dashboard, much like the Product 3, is almost entirely devoid of elements other than screens. Although a touchscreen measuring 12.8 inches is used to handle the majority of the functionality, a secondary display serves the purpose of a digital instrument cluster.

2024 Nio EL6

Additionally, Nio will be introducing a brand new electric SUV to the European market named as the EL6. It is a little bit lengthier than the ET5 Touring, but it has the same twin-motor all-wheel push drivetrain, and it is estimated that it can get from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Nio anticipates a 328-mile WLTP option.

Both the ET5 Touring and the EL6 are now being offered for purchase in the markets of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark respectively. While it is currently possible to place an order for the EL6 (even doing so through a subscription model), shipments of the ET5 Touring are not expected to begin for the European market until later in the year.

2024 Nio EL6

Nio has only recently begun bringing out battery swapping to Europe this year and is speeding up the process. However, a recent report by Reuters stated that the automaker will cease free battery switching and lower price ranges in its property current market in response to a decline in product sales. According to the study, purchasers have voiced concerns that the battery-swapping stations are inhibiting their capacity to make a profit.

As Nio continues to focus on charging infrastructure, this could mark the beginning of a change in which battery changing becomes a premium service rather than an integrated benefit. According to the information provided by the company, customers in Europe have access to in excess of 400,000 charges provided by third parties.