The news that a Chinese carmaker is launching Nio EVE, a Mercedes-Maybach competitor, would have sounded unreal just a few years ago. But we witnessing a major switch from internal combustion engine cars to electric vehicles right now, and Chinese manufacturers are way ahead of traditional carmakers.
The luxury vehicle market has been dominated by a few traditional brands. German giants BMW, Mercedes, and Audi were undisputed kings. In the era of electrification, however, these vehicle giants have not kept up with the high growth pace of Chinese new EV firms.
Don’t miss: Top 3 EVs to buy in 2024
Nio EVE is going to be unveiled the following month. In terms of luxury, it will be a direct competitor to Mercedes Maybach, but in terms of technology, it’s going to be a step ahead.
An ultra-luxury sedan
Luxury brands are making slow progress to electrification. They are still focused on fuel-powered engines, where they were a dominating force for the entire century. But every reign sooner or later comes to an end, and Mercedes is going to find it out rather soon. Nio EVE and similar luxury EVs that are yet to come are going to put the nail in the coffin of European dominance.
The EVE will sit on Nio’s new NT3 platform. It’s going to have a long wheelbase of 3.3 meters, ensuring a superb driving experience for passengers. It will also feature an all-new 300 kW engine, made by Nio. All EVs made by this company can swap batteries in just 5 minutes, something other EVs can only dream about.
Another piece of the puzzle that underpins Nio’s determination is chip technology. Nio self-developed an autonomous chip for Nio EVE, something traditional carmakers don’t do. They’re using third-party solutions, that Nio completely avoided.
On the other hand, Mercedes and the like are going to have problems with third-party solutions. EVs are a new technology, highly dependent on high-tech hardware like chips, and any supply disturbance will result in production problems. All this luxury and technology is not going to be cheap, though. According to rumors, it will cost around €140,000.
Who produces Nio EVE?
This car is going to be made by Nio, a young carmaking company by all parameters. It was founded in 2014, with the first car delivery four years later. Although in the business for a decade, Nio EVE is going to be its first ultra-luxury car. ES7 is Nio’s most expensive model to date, with a price of €72,000. Nio EVE is going to be launched globally, especially aiming European market. Europe is still dominated by fuel-powered cars and that’s an opportunity Nio won’t miss.
Featured image credit: Nio