Fledgling Chinese EV Maker Unveils 7-Passenger SUV

Chinese electric-vehicle newcomer NIO unveils its production-ready NIO ES8 7-seater SUV just five months after the brand’s global launch in London.

The manufacturer launched its $1.48 million flagship supercar, the NIO EP9, in a Chelsea art gallery in November. Now it promises to make deliveries of the ES8 to its home market by the beginning of next year.

The NIO ES8 is a fullsize SUV with a 2-3-2 seating arrangement and measures 196 ins. (4,980 mm) in length with a wheelbase of more than 118 ins. (3,000 mm). It’s built with an all-aluminum body and chassis, front and rear motors with electric all-wheel drive, and active air suspension.

The vehicle’s “swappable” battery is claimed to rival the speed of refueling at gasoline stations.

NIO claims the manufacturing and supply chain that will produce the ES8 already is in place. Tests covering thousands of miles have been conducted at Yakeshi in Inner Mongolia, where temperatures can reach -22˚ F (-5.6˚ C) as well as Melbourne and Mildura, Australia where temperatures can exceed over 104˚ F (40˚ C).