As promised, we’re again with a full recap of the debuts throughout NIO Day 2024, which befell over the weekend. As anticipated, NIO formally launched its new Firefly sub-brand, unveiling its flagship BEV mannequin that appears to tackle tremendous compacts like MINI and Sensible. Moreover, NIO launched its ultra-luxe ET9 sedan, whose preliminary trim has already bought out in China.
Final week, we printed somewhat primer forward of Chinese language EV automaker NIO’s annual occasion. We get loads of thrilling information from NIO all year long, however no occasion is extra more likely to embrace landmark bulletins than its annual NIO Day occasion, held each December.
We anticipated two large debuts at this yr’s NIO Day, which befell in Guangzhou, within the Guangdong province of China, on December 21. First was the official launch of NIO’s third EV model, Firefly, and the primary public have a look at its flagship mannequin.
Moreover, NIO Day 2024 was anticipated to convey the official launch of the automaker’s newest flagship (and most costly) mannequin, the ET9, which debuted eventually yr’s NIO Day. Following the annual occasion, we are able to verify each BEVs have been launched and have significantly better perception into their pricing, specs, and availability in international markets.
Firefly launches at NIO Day 2024 with a premium small automobile
As anticipated, NIO formally launched its second sub-brand and third total BEV model at NIO Day 2024, which marked the opening of presales of Firefly’s flagship mannequin, which shares the identical identify. The premium boutique small automobile arrives in China priced at RMB 148,800 ($20,390), the identical because the discounted electrical Mini Cooper.
BMW’s MINI model and Mercedes-Benz’s Sensible seem like clear opponents to the brand new Firefly model. NIO founder William Li defined that the brand new BEV is smaller than a Sensible automobile and smarter than a MINI. Like all NIO fashions, the Firefly BEV helps battery swaps, hinting {that a} battery-as-a-service (BaaS) rental buy program could also be supplied when the mannequin formally launches.
From its preliminary announcement, NIO promised that Firefly would ship reasonably priced EVs to international markets, together with Europe. The launch of the mannequin above will start in China in April 2025, adopted by Europe shortly after. Per Li, Firefly will depend on native accomplice retailers for European gross sales, beginning someday within the first half of 2025.
Along with the debut of the Firefly BEV, NIO Day 2024 additionally marked the official launch of the brand new ET9 sedan, which seems to be a success proper out of the gate.
NIO ET9 begins at $108k, deliveries to start in March
Whereas it’s welcomed information, it ought to be no shock that the brand new ET9 sedan launched throughout NIO Day 2024. The launch presentation included our first have a look at the ET9 in and out. Try that picture of the again seat above. Clearly, NIO is concentrating on the manager market worldwide and taking some cues from Maybach.
German automakers ought to be sweating somewhat as NIO seems to be trying to compete in opposition to them excessive and low with Firefly and now the ET9. We’ve confirmed that the ET9 begins at an MSRP of RMB 788,000 ($108,000), together with the battery. That’s barely decrease than the RMB 800,000 presale value introduced throughout the mannequin’s unveiling at NIO Day 2023.
That $108k price ticket applies to the NIO ET9’s customary trim, however the automaker can even promote a BaaS model that begins at RMB 660,000 ($90,420). House owners pay a month-to-month battery rental charge of RMB 1,128 ($155).
Through the launch at NIO Day 2024, the automaker debuted a restricted launch version trim of the ET9 with a beginning value of RMB 818,000 ($112,065), which incorporates the battery. On the time, NIO stated it could solely construct 999 models of the restricted version ET9, and in accordance with media outlet CnEVPost, all of them had been spoken for in China in lower than 24 hours, exceeding gross sales expectations.
Clients will now should accept the tremendous plush Commonplace trim. How unhappy. Listed here are a number of the ET9’s specs from NIO Day 2024 at a look:
- 4-seat sedan with dimensions of 5,325 mm in size, 2,017 mm in width, and 1,621 mm in top. Its wheelbase is 3,250 mm.
- It’s the primary mannequin to function NIO’s in-house designed 5 nm process-based Shenji NX9031 autonomous driving chip.
- Shenji is equal to 4 mainstream sensible driving chips, and the ET9 is provided with two.
- Features a SkyRide clever chassis system, described because the “world’s first built-in hydraulic totally lively suspension.” We noticed it in motion final summer season.
- Steer-by-wire (SBW) know-how allows the steering wheel and wheels to be fully decoupled, providing increased ranges of clever driving.
- 925V platform (higher than the 900V structure initially introduced) allows higher efficiency and sooner cost charges.
- 100 kWh battery pack that delivers a (CLTC) vary of 650 km (404 miles).
- Twin electrical motors with a peak energy of 180 kW on the entrance and 340 kW on the rear.
- The powertrain combines for a most energy output of 520 kW and a peak torque of 700 Nm.
- Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds.
- 105-liter frunk cargo capability.
Deutsche Financial institution anticipates NIO’s gross sales of each the Firely EV and the ET9 sedan to succeed in 1,500 models monthly, setting the stage for one more large yr of progress in 2025. The automaker concluded NIO Day 2024 by stating that preliminary deliveries of the ET9 are anticipated to start in China in March 2025, beginning with the sold-out restricted version talked about above.
Whereas this will probably be a brand new BEV for the worldwide market, NIO has but to supply a timeline as to when gross sales and deliveries of the ET9 will start in Europe. We anticipate someday in 2025 after deliveries start in China. One other NIO Day is within the books in 2024 as we sit up for a giant yr in 2025!
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