In the domestic automobile market, there are not too many models in the field of new energy medium and large SUVs at the level of 50-600,000 yuan, according to the search situation of the car emperor, there are currently 7 new energy medium and large SUVs in line with this price on the market, and Weilai's Weilai ES8 is one of them, compared with other models in terms of luxury, I think the luxury of Weilai ES8 is not only reflected in the appearance and interior, but also in some places that cannot be seen, such as a large number of environmentally friendly materials in the car, The rich technology configuration, strong power level, excellent battery life, and NIO's services can be said to reflect the luxury characteristics of the NIO ES8, and have also been recognized by many consumers.
As a high-end mid-to-large electric SUV under NIO, the guide price of NIO ES8 is 498,000-598,000 yuan, and a total of 5 models are available. Let's take the 2024 75kWh executive version as an example, with a guide price of 518,000 yuan, let's see how it actually performs.
In terms of appearance, the NIO ES8 continues the design style of the NIO family, while adding new design elements, and the body adopts a sharp line design to look full of personality and is highly recognizable. The split headlight cluster on the front face has a unique shape, especially the slender daytime running lights above are also the signature design of NIO, and the lower grille adopts a closed design, highlighting the positioning of new energy vehicles, and the body still looks very tense. The combination of daytime running lights and turn signals, with the geometric multi-beam LED headlights below, is more aggressive, equipped with adaptive high and low beams, turn assist lights, front fog lights, headlight height adjustment and delay shutdown and other practical functions, the light function is also relatively rich, improving the safety of night travel. At first glance, you will be attracted by the appearance of this car, the heavy body creates a prominent texture, and the NIO logo on the cabin cover further highlights the identity of the vehicle, I believe you will fall in love with this car at a glance.
On the side of the body, the side lines of this car are smooth and powerful, thanks to the length of nearly 5 meters 1, it looks very slender, and the floating roof shape and flat side window treatment make the whole visual effect have a certain sense of luxury. The waistline that runs through the front and rear adds to the layering of the body, and the design of frameless doors and concealed door handles enhances the car's aerodynamics and brings a certain dynamic atmosphere. The recessed design under the doors gives the vehicle an elegant stance and modernity, and the sleek shape of the 20-inch alloy wheels below further enhances the car's sporty look. In my opinion, the body design of this car is in line with the positioning of a large SUV, and the atmospheric and stylish appearance and technical configuration in the details highlight its luxurious texture, which further enriches the car experience.
The design of the rear end is more concise, and the continuous tail lights form a coherent light strip effect when lit, which not only improves the visual width, but also enhances the recognition of night driving. High-mounted brake lights and concealed rear wipers not only improve the cleanliness of the rear end, but also increase driving safety. The red reflective strip on the bottom and the large area of the guard plate design make the vehicle look more stable and safe.
Entering the car, we can see that the interior design of NIO ES8 is still based on simplicity, although it is simple, it also shows a good sense of luxury, and the dual-color design is combined with elements such as wood grain trim and chrome trim on the center console, and the center console has a clear sense of hierarchy and a high sense of grade. The double-spoke steering wheel has a full grip, the multi-function button area on both sides is reasonably divided, easy to operate, the steering wheel is wrapped in leather, and it also supports electric adjustment, heating and position memory, which is convenient for our daily driving; The shift lever adopts a toggle design, which is more intuitive to operate, and the back of the shift lever is equipped with a wireless charging panel for mobile phones, which only needs to be placed on the wireless charging panel on the back of the mobile phone. In my opinion, this car can be said to basically make full use of the space in the car, and there are many comfortable functions, which brings great convenience to our daily driving.
The more eye-catching in the car is the middle 12.8-inch central control screen, which occupies most of the area of the center console, and the 10.2-inch full LCD instrument panel provides a clear display effect, and the interior is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 on-board intelligent chip and Banyan Banyan on-board intelligent system, which supports GPS navigation, navigation road condition information, roadside assistance services, 5G network, Internet of Vehicles, OTA upgrade, facial recognition, voice recognition control system, visible and talkable and other rich functions. After the hands-on experience, you can feel that this system responds quickly, the touch is delicate, we can use voice to control the functions in the car, basically this function has been realized after speaking, such as turning on the air conditioner, when it is finished, the air conditioner has been automatically turned on, it is still very convenient.
In terms of space and ride, the body size of this NIO ES8 is 5099mm×1989mm×1750mm in length, width and height, and the wheelbase is 3070mm, with a six-seat layout of 2+2+2, and the whole system is equipped with Nappa leather seats as standard, and each seat is equipped with independent ventilation, heating, massage and seat memory functions, especially the independent seats in the second row and the heating function in the third row, which not only reflects the attention to ride comfort, but also rarely has such a configuration in the same class.
The experiencer with a height of 180cm enters the second row of space, and the leg room in the second row is about 2 fists, and the head space is about one fist and three fingers; Enter the third row, with one fist and one finger left in the legroom and one fist or two fingers left in the headroom. The performance of this space is still quite good, although the three-row space is a little cramped, but it is also equipped with cup holders on both sides, the seats support heating, plus lights and large side windows, it will not feel oppressive, and the ride comfort is still good.
The trunk volume of the rear seats is 235 litres without reclining, which can be expanded to 552 litres when folded down, which is fully suitable for daily loading needs, such as a few suitcases on a weekend trip.
In terms of intelligent driving, the 2024 NIO ES8 is equipped with 1 lidar, 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, and 5 millimeter-wave radars, and the four NVIDIA Orin X chips provide powerful computing power, supporting functions such as L2 assisted driving, cruise control, 360° panoramic image, and automatic parking. In addition, it is equipped with one-button lifting of all windows, automatic air conditioning for the front and rear seats, and Type-C ports to improve the convenience of daily use. These features make the vehicle excellent in areas such as automatic parking, lane keeping, and remote summoning, providing great convenience and safety for the driver.
The power part, NIO ES8 uses dual-motor power, the total power of the motor is 480kW (653Ps), the total torque of the motor is 850N·m, it is equipped with a single-speed gearbox for electric vehicles, and the drive mode of dual-motor four-wheel drive is adopted, the official acceleration time of 100 kilometers is 4.1s, the battery type is lithium iron phosphate battery + ternary lithium battery, the battery capacity is 75kWh, the pure electric range is 465km under CLTC working conditions, and the power consumption is 18.3kWh/100km per 100km. You may think that the battery life of this car is a little weak, but in order to solve everyone's anxiety, on the one hand, NIO ES8 supports a 400V high-voltage fast charging platform, which can charge the battery to 80% in 0.5 hours, and the charging speed is greatly improved; On the other hand, NIO has launched a BaaS battery leasing policy to support battery swapping technology, which makes battery replacement as convenient as refueling, greatly improving the convenience of daily use.
Test drive experience, you can feel the smooth power output performance when you step on the electric valve pedal when starting, the response is timely, you can feel the obvious feeling of pushing back when you step on the electric valve deeply, you can turn on the sports mode when driving at high speed, you can feel a strong feeling of pushing back when you step on the electric valve deeply, and there is no pressure at all when overtaking. The steering wheel steering force is moderate, the pointing is accurate, and the front and rear windows of the NIO ES8 are multi-layer soundproof glass, so the interior quietness of the NIO ES8 is also excellent, and there is almost no obvious noise.
In terms of chassis, the NIO ES8 is equipped with a front double wishbone rear multi-link independent suspension and an intelligent dual-chamber air suspension system, bringing a good riding experience. The suspension system effectively dampens vibrations when driving over bumpy roads, and the roll suppression effect is also good when cornering at high speeds.
At present, NIO has officially launched a BaaS battery rental program, and if you choose this plan when buying a car, the car price will be reduced by 70,000 yuan, and the monthly rental fee for the follow-up battery will be 728 yuan/month (75-degree battery), which further lowers the entry threshold for the vehicle (please consult your local dealer for specific discount details).
In general, the overall strength of NIO ES8 is strong, the positioning of medium and large SUVs brings good space, strong power performance, and excellent performance in atmosphere creation, technology configuration, etc., coupled with the battery swap policy launched by NIO, the cost performance is still quite good. If you're on a budget of around 500,000 and consider a high-performance all-electric mid-to-large SUV, then the NIO ES8 is worth a look.