Nio continues its European expansion by unveiling a new large electric SUV aimed at families. The EL8 is Nio’s flagship SUV offering in Europe, and it promises not only oodles of interior space but also advanced safety tech and performance befitting a manufacturer’s top offering. It’s also relatively slippery for a large SUV, with a claimed drag coefficient of 0.25 Cd.
Powering the EL8 is a pair of electric motors: one 241 horsepower permanent-magnet motor drives the front wheels, and a 402 hp induction motor drives the rear wheels. Their combined total output of 643 hp and 627 pound-feet of torque is enough to propel this big eSUV to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds. That’s a lot of performance for a heavy SUV, and stopping power is ensured by six-piston front calipers gripping large rotors.
With the larger 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack, Nio says the EL8 should be good for a WLTP range of 317 miles. The EL8 features a 75 kWh battery as standard, which should provide about 250 miles of WLTP range.
With a total length just shy of 5.1 meters, or 201 inches, the EL8 is 24.5 centimeters, or about 10 inches longer than the smaller EL6, enough to gain a third row of seats. It is available in a six-seater configuration with or without a console and a built-in fridge between the second-row seats. All seats are electric as standard and Nio says they can gain new functions via over-the-air updates.
When the third row of seats is up, space in the trunk is limited, but their backrests can be folded electrically, increasing the maximum load volume to 810 liters, or 28.6 cubic feet. With the rear seats down, Nio says you can fit four large suitcases in the back.
The standard wheel size for the EL8 is 20 inches, but you can go up to 21 or 22 inches at an extra cost. Nio promises the vehicle will remain very quiet and comfortable thanks to standard dual-chamber air suspension, active and adaptive dampers and double-glazed windows.
The EL8 features a new 16.3-inch head-up display, 2.5 times larger than what it previously put in its vehicles. It is projected directly onto the windscreen and is complimented by a 12.8-inch portrait-style OLED central display and a smaller 10.2-inch driver’s display. Rear passengers get a 6.6-inch display. The voice-controlled digital assistant Nomi can be summoned from any of the EL8’s six seats, including from the third row.
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