Nio has filed regulatory documentation in China for new “Clean Parks Edition” variants of its ET5 electric sedan and ET5 Touring wagon, signaling a potential expansion of its special-edition lineup linked to the company’s environmental conservation program.
The new variant appeared in specification change documents released last Friday by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, following the launch of the ET5 and ET5 Touring Champion Edition models in July. The filing shows that the primary update involves the addition of “Clean Parks Edition” as a rear badging option alongside the existing Champion Edition branding.
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Nio first introduced its Clean Parks initiative at Nio Day 2021 on Dec. 18, 2021, when founder, chairman and chief executive William Li committed RMB 100 million ($14.1 million) over three years to promote electric vehicle adoption and the development of clean energy infrastructure in environmentally sensitive regions. “We would assist these areas in establishing self-sustaining, clean, low-carbon energy systems to preserve the authenticity and integrity of ecosystems,” the company said at the time.
The Clean Parks platform was designed as an open collaboration program, with Nio working alongside multiple global environmental organizations. Over the past several years, the automaker has formed partnerships under the initiative with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, the Danish Nature Foundation and China’s Giant Panda National Park.
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The Clean Parks Edition versions of the ET5 and ET5 Touring are expected to serve as commemorative models linked to the initiative. Nio has not announced an official launch date, though Dec. 18 — the fourth anniversary of both the ET5 and the Clean Parks program — is being closely watched by industry observers.
Nio introduced updated versions of the ET5 sedan and ET5 Touring wagon on May 25 this year, retaining their starting price of RMB 298,000, as the company seeks to maintain momentum in China’s highly competitive mid-size premium electric vehicle segment.
