NIO Inc. officially launched the NIO ES6 on December 15, 2018 during the annual NIO Day celebration in Shanghai. The electric SUV starts at a pre-subsidy price of 358,000 RMB (US$52,000), and is available now for public pre-order via the NIO app, with delivery to start in June 2019.

The NIO ES6 features dual motors in conjunction with an intelligent electric all-wheel-drive system delivering output power of up to 400 kW (544 hp), peak torque of 725 N·m and 0-100 km/h acceleration in as little as 4.7 seconds for the top model. The ES6 also features excellent braking performance, decelerating from 100-0 km/h in just 33.9 meters.

High-performance independent suspension, Continuous Damping Control (CDC), intelligent electric all-wheel drive come standard, and users also have the option of equipping vehicle with next-gen active air suspension. Drivers can also switch between multiple driving modes, bringing a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

The ES6 sports the only body design with a hybrid structure of aluminum alloy and carbon fiber in its class. It is composed of 91% aluminum throughout the vehicle, with innovative use of aircraft-grade 7 Series aluminum. Structural elements made of high-strength carbon fiber make the ES6 lighter and more solid.

An overall torsional stiffness of 44,930 Nm/degree is the highest among production SUVs globally.

PM and IM motors and a 510-km range. The ES6 is the world’s first SUV equipped with a combination of permanent magnet and induction motors (in the Performance and Premier Editions), which allows for power and endurance alike. The front permanent magnet motor delivers power of up to 160 kW, peak torque of 305 N·m and an energy conversion rate of 97%; the rear induction motor delivers 240 kW and 420 N·m and contributes to fast acceleration. The Standard Edition features dual PM motors.)

The 84-kWh liquid-cooled thermostatic battery pack, optional across the range, features world-class NCM 811 cathode material and energy density of up to 170 Wh/kg.

The ES6 features a lightweight design and drag coefficient Cd of 0.28 which both contribute to a combined range of up to 510 km (317 miles).

The NIO digital cockpit built on the NOMI in-car artificial intelligence (AI) system is integrated with a speech-based interactive system. An upgraded HUD, digital instrument cluster and 11.3 inch second-generation multitouch screen put all vehicle information at the users’ fingertips.

ES6 features pre-installed NIO Pilot hardware, including a Mobileye EyeQ4 chip and 23 sensors. NIO Pilot supports more than 20 functions covering typical scenarios of car use in China. Functions can be upgraded over time via firmware-over-the-air (FOTA).

An intelligent fragrancing system offers four different fragrances for a more pleasant occupant experience. This optional system interacts with the vehicle’s other systems for automatic paring with different user accounts and situations.

The ES6 is equipped with Lion, a high-performance intelligent gateway enabling data exchange and remote upgrading via FOTA. Additionally, the Dragon security architecture offers a matrix-like firewall to enhance data security and protect user privacy.

The ES6 has a length of 4,850 mm, a width of 1,965 mm, a height of 1,768 mm and a wheelbase of 2,900 mm, bringing a comfortably large space.

This newest model continues the NIO family design language. The X-bar across the front end is in the same color as that of the body, integrating with the sweeping turning lights and smoky daytime running lights. This, plus the low-drag grille, tilted D pillars, sharp and straight window lines, more streamlined heartbeat taillights and rear shark fin style reflector design, highlights stylishness and sportiness.

Service upgrades. In 2019, NIO plans to fully upgrade three service systems: NIO House, NIO Service and NIO Power. It also plans to open 70 NIO Houses and pop-up NIO Houses by the end of the same year. Depending on user needs, NIO will also set up more battery swap stations for expressways.

In addition to the G4 Expressway battery swap network, NIO has partly finished building the battery swap network for the G2 Beijing-Shanghai Expressway and the G15 Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, which are both soon to be completed.

NIO has built a nationwide support network. By 2019, it plans to open more than 300 service outlets to further enhance its ability to offer services.

Pricing and Pre-order. The ES6 is available in two versions: the Standard Version and the Performance Version. NIO users can now choose from the battery plan and receive a 100,000 RMB (US$14,500) discount off of the price of the vehicle. The price of the battery plan is 1,660 RMB (US$241) per month. In addition, NIO also released a ES6 Premier Edition with a limited quantity of 6,000. Priority deliveries are targeted to begin in June 2019. Every ES6 is customized and made to order. Starting today, ES6 is available on the NIO app.