Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, NIO, announced that consumers can lock in orders for the EC7 electric coupe SUV starting April 10th, a month before the planned delivery date.
Consumers who reserve the EC7 by paying a deposit of RMB 5,000 ($730) before the pre-order lock-in starts can benefit from using their deposit as RMB 10,000 towards the purchase of the car.
The EC7, NIOās second coupe SUV after the EC6, will be available for test drives from April 10th, and deliveries of custom vehicles are scheduled to begin in mid-May.
NIOās optimized exterior design gives the EC7 a wind resistance coefficient of 0.23 Cd, making it the worldās most wind-resistant mass-produced SUV. Equipped with a 480 kW peak power motor, the EC7 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds, making it NIOās fastest-accelerating SUV to date.
The EC7 will be available in three versions, including a standard range battery pack version, a 100-kWh battery pack version, and a premiere version with a 100-kWh battery pack. Prices for the three versions start at RMB 488,000, RMB 546,000, and RMB 578,000, respectively. However, consumers who opt for NIOās battery-as-a-service program can purchase the regular versions for RMB 418,000 and the premiere version for RMB 450,000, with monthly battery rental costs ranging from RMB 980 to RMB 1680.
NIOās NAD (NIO Autonomous Driving) feature will also be available for the EC7, with a full feature package available on a subscription basis at RMB 680 per month. However, the software is not yet available.
NIO offers the first EC7 owners a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty, up to six free battery swaps per month, and a free home charger.
It is worth noting that despite the launch of the EC7, NIO will continue production of the EC6. The company has also released a new NT 2.0 platform-based EC6, which will be available for sale in the future.
