Nio ET5: Europe-bound Tesla Model 3 rival gets estate
The Nio ET5 has already been confirmed to launch in the UK later this year
New stretch variant of Chinese electric saloon tipped to join saloon sibling in UK later this year
The Nio ET5 electric saloon, arriving in the UK later this year, is tipped to be joined by an estate revealed today in the latest round of Chinese government registry filings.
Set to make its public debut at next month’s Shanghai motor show, the new model is thought to be the one teased by Nio CEO William Li when he said the Tesla Model 3-rivalling ET5 “and another” car suited in size to the UK would arrive by the end of 2023.
Like the ET5, which will be Nio’s debut entry into the UK market, the estate will be exclusively leased via a subscription model, rather than being sold.
The subscription model has proven successful for Chinese brand Lynk&Co (owned by Geely) in establishing itself in select major European markets.
A big-selling point of Nio cars will be rhe firm's battery-swapping technology. This allows owners to swap a depleted battery for a fully charged one in around five minutes at special stations, scores of which are planned to be opened in the UK.
The estate, which will go on sale in China in June, is also planned to be offered in a number of other European markets – including Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway – by the end of the year.
The stretched ET5 builds on the standard saloon with a new-look rear aimed at providing it with added space and versatility.
It shares the same front-end look as the saloon through to the B-pillars. The rear then adopts a longer roofline and a heavily angled tailgate housing a full-width tail-light bar.
At 4790mm long, 1960mm wide and 1499mm tall, the new Nio is 77mm longer, 113mm wider and 59mm taller than the BMW 3 Series Touring. It also rides on a wheelbase 37mm longer than that of its German rival, at 2888mm.
Power for the estate is expected to mirror that of the ET5 saloon, with a dual-motor set-up giving four-wheel drive.
In the saloon, the front asynchronous motor delivers 201bhp and the rear synchronous motor 282bhp for an overall system output of 480bhp, together with up to 520lb ft of torque.
Three battery capacities are planned for the estate, including 75kWh, 100kWh and 150kW units, the last of those using semi-solid-state cell technology. Claimed WLTP ranges are put at 277, 360 and 621 miles respectively.