NIO has launched European deliveries of the EL7, previously known as the ES7 in China. The name was changed due to a lawsuit with Audi just prior to its launch.
The first local customers in the Netherlands received the EL7 on January 31, according to a post by the General Manager of NIO Netherlands on the company’s mobile app. The delivery took place at NIO Space Mobile, near the Zandvoort race track.
Kees, one of the first to receive a NIO delivery, chose the brand for a new experience and future access to more options through a subscription model, as stated in the article. The EL7 will soon be delivered to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, according to the article.
See also: Nio’s European Expansion Halted by Court Battle Over Similarity to Audi’s Naming Nomenclature
NIO introduced the ET7, EL7, and ET5 to Europe at the NIO Berlin launch event on October 7, 2022 and initially only offered a subscription model, not a purchase option. The ET7 began deliveries in Europe in October 2022, with the EL7 starting at the end of January 2023 and the ET5 at the end of March 2023, according to NIO.
On November 21, 2022, NIO started offering purchase options in Europe and disclosed pricing for Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark along with entitlements details. Just before NIO’s Berlin launch, its websites for German, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish displayed the ES7 under the name EL7.
NIO explained that it chose the EL7 name in Europe to protect its customers’ interests due to ongoing litigation with Audi. In June 2022, Audi sued NIO in a Munich court alleging trademark infringement by NIO’s ES6 and ES8 models.
See also: Nio aims to launch 5 new electric vehicle models by 2023
According to Automobilwoche on January 19, the Munich District Court ruled in favor of Audi. NIO expressed regret over the verdict and stated they would appeal to defend their legal rights. NIO delivered a record 15,815 vehicles in December, including 4,154 ES7 models, as announced on January 1. NIO’s European vehicles are assets on the company’s balance sheet but not counted in published deliveries, as previously stated by the company.
