NIO has officially announced that its upcoming ET7 flagship model will have a drag coefficient of 0.208, which is the second-best result for production models worldwide (on par with Tesla).
A better result is noted by the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ (0.200). The new Tesla Model S also has a drag coefficient of 0.208, while the EQS 580 4MATIC is right behind at 0.209. The Lucid Air is at 0.21.
NIO originally expected a value of 0.23, but with over 800 CFD simulation cases and 120 hours of wind tunnel testing completed, it was able to improve to the level of front-runners.
“The aerodyniamics team of NIO has been deeply engaged into the design and engineering of the ET7 since the very beginning. With ergonomics and cabin comfort uncompromised, the ET7’s front windshield inclination angle, radii and angles between the headlights and the front fenders, fastback design and ducktail spoiler, C pillar character lines, approach and departure angles, and wheels are optimized to make the model more aerodynamic.”
“In the meantime, the Watchtower sensor layout on the roof, on the one hand, enables a more commanding view of the ultralong-range high-resolution LiDAR and 8-megapixel high-resolution cameras, and redefines the exterior design in the autonomous driving era, yet on the other hand, it also poses a huge challenge to the vehicle’s aero efficiency. The aerodynamics team has spared no efforts in perfecting the inclination and radii of the LiDAR and cameras, and excelling its aerodynamic performance.”
“Apart from that, the active grill shutter(AGS) and air suspension that come standard on the ET7, and the light-weight underbody coverage further boost the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle, making a perfect combination of aesthetics and aerodynamics. “
The aerodynamics is one of the most important areas when in comes to electric vehicles as it directly affects the range.
NIO expects that its upcoming 150 kWh battery option (in late 2022) will allow the car to achieve an NEDC range of more than 1,000 km (622 miles).
Meanwhile, the pre-production prototypes of the NIO ET7 recently completed the extreme heat tests in Sanya of Hainan, Turpan of Xinjiang, and Chongqing in China.
“In these tests, engineers fully verified the stability of the NIO ET7’s thermal management system, performance of the powertrain system, and the battery cooling system under extreme heat conditions by testing the stability of vehicle performance in temperature changes and AC performance after exposure to the sun. “
These tests come on top of the winter tests completed a little bit earlier in New Zealand.
The market launch of the NIO ET7 is scheduled for Q1 2022 in China, and possibly by the end of 2022 in Europe (some initial markets like Germany).
Meanwhile, the NIO ES8 SUV will be officially launched in Norway on September 30.
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NIO ET7 specs:
- 70 kWh battery – more than 500 km (311 miles) of NEDC range
- 100 kWh battery – more than 700 km (435 miles) of NEDC range
- 150 kWh battery option in the future will get more than 1,000 km (620 miles) of NEDC range
- 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds
- dual motor all-wheel drive
- system output of 480 kW and 850 Nm of torque
front motor (permanent magnet): 180 kW
rear motor (induction motor): 300 kW
NIO 2nd generation powertrain with SiC power electronics - 100-0 km/h braking in 33.5 m, with Brembo brakes (standard)
- Cd of 0.208 (vs initially expected 0.23)
- Dimensions: Length 5.098 m, Width 1.987 m, Height 1.505 m and Wheelbase of 3.060 m