- The Nio ES8 can be had for as little as $43,000 with Nio’s battery leasing program.
- The ES8 is a six-seater large EV about the same size as a Kia EV9.
- This model is on sale in China now, but will likely come to European markets very soon.
I really like Nio. The Chinese luxury, tech-forward EV manufacturer known for its battery-swapping big crossovers has been trying to make waves across the globe. Has it worked? Uh, unfortunately, not – the big EVs haven’t managed to knock any longstanding manufacturer from their perch. But maybe this new model could change the brand’s luck. Nio’s largest model and its flagship SUV, the ES8, has been updated for the new model year. The brand aims to give more luxury for a lot less money this time around.
On its face, the Nio ES8 may not look super different from its current generation. Yet, there are a lot of under-the-skin improvements to the model. Overall, the ES8 is about 7 inches longer than the old model, with 2.49 inches of that going to the wheelbase. Aside from the excess length, the ES8 now has a frunk, whereas the old one did not.
Underneath all those changes lies a new 900-volt architecture that still supports Nio’s battery-as-a-service swappable units. For a discount on the purchase price, buyers of the ES8 can opt to rent the battery and pay per month, rather than buy the whole car outright.
Photo by: Nio
It’s a large discount, too — with the battery leasing discount, the ES8 can be had for as little as $43,000. This is a substantial discount, even compared to the old model, which started at $58,000 with the battery leasing scheme. Interestingly, the ES8 (with battery leasing) can be had for cheaper than the new six-seater Tesla Model Y L, which is probably bad news for Tesla.
Especially since the new ES8 looks so damn nice.
Exterior-wise, the ES8 is about the same as the old one, save for some extra inches added to the design. But on the inside, Nio’s designers clearly have taken inspiration from the ET9 top-of-the-line sedan. Just like that car, the ES8’s portrait-style infotainment screen has been replaced with a large tablet-style one. A narrow information screen runs between the driver and passenger, showing off other information like the weather, vehicle speed or song titles. It’s all very similar to the ET9, including the same diamond-shaped tufted seats.
Photo by: Nio
I liked the old ES8, but this looks like an elevated luxury upgrade for China. The ES8’s launch was so significant that it actually was able to lift the stock price of Nio itself. This model is launching in China first, but will likely make its way around the globe to every market where Nio is sold. So, if you’re in Europe, the updated ES8 is likely to come soon.
If the European-market Nio ES8 gets similar price cuts as its Chinese-market counterpart, then Nio’s global woes could possibly turn around.
Contact the author: Kevin.Williams@insideevs.com
