Nio competes with ET5 against Tesla and BMW

As part of the "Nio Day," the Chinese automaker presented the electric sedan ET5, which is being launched as the smaller sibling of the already known ET7. With a length of 4.79 meters, the electric sedan is about 20 centimeters shorter than the ET7, and its design appears somewhat more compact but also sportier due to the "muscular fenders," according to Nio. The ET5 is set to compete with the Tesla Model 3, which is ten centimeters shorter (4.69 meters), and the nearly identical-length BMW i4 (4.78 meters).

All-wheel drive and sporty performance

Nio relies on a combination of an induction motor at the front (ASM, 150 kW) and a permanent magnet motor at the rear (PSM, 210 kW). Induction motors can be switched off without power – the front motor is thus only powered when needed, reducing drag losses. With a total output of 360 kW (just under 490 hp) and 700 Nm of torque, the car is expected to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. Additionally, a power module is supposed to help reduce electricity consumption. The c_W value of 0.24, on the other hand, is only mediocre compared to the larger sibling ET7 (0.208) – but it is on par with the BMW i4 (0.24) and just slightly above the Tesla Model 3 (0.23).

Battery packs up to 150 kWh for long range

Batteries with 75, 100, and 150 kWh are available. The largest battery is likely the solid-state battery announced by Nio. The ranges according to the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) are approximately 550, 700, and 1,000 km. For comparison: The Model 3 Long Range achieves 616 km, while the i4 M50 reaches 510 km – both, however, according to the WLTP standard. The two test cycles are difficult to compare – the test of the NIO ET5 according to the WLTP standard is still pending. And whether the available power varies with the different battery options or if a purely rear-wheel-drive version will also be offered has not yet been disclosed by Nio.

Interior as “second living space”

This is what Nio calls the interior design concept. Trends from the “furniture, fashion, and shoe industry” are said to have influenced it. There are natural color tones such as a so-called “Terracotta” interior and more sustainable fabric covers. The cockpit of the ET5 has a display for the instruments (10.2 inches) and a vertically arranged touchscreen (12.8 inches). The dashboard is very neat and clear, with ventilation nozzles and speakers invisibly hidden. On the dashboard sits NOMI. NOMI is an assistant that sits on the cockpit like a tennis ball and is supposed to connect with the vehicle owner through a glance. The assistant – as Nio advertises – is smarter and funnier than ever thanks to a connected knowledge database.

Augmented Reality in the Cockpit

The ET5 is equipped with an augmented reality function. The "PanoCinema" display is a digital cockpit with a panoramic view that combines augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Together with the company Nreal, an AR headset has been developed that is supposed to create an effective screen size of 201 inches - whether it will be used for driving in reality is left open by Nio.

A variety of sensor units make the ET5 ready for autonomous driving. This includes a high-resolution LiDAR with ultra-long range, high-resolution cameras, millimeter-wave radars, and ultrasonic sensors. However, the full range of functions will only be gradually released after further development and validation, to enable autonomous driving for different scenarios both in urban and rural areas.