The Chinese electric car company NIO says it's delivered the first ES8 crossovers to customers. The seven-passenger, all-aluminum vehicle is equipped with air suspension and dual electric motors that produce around 644 horsepower and 620 lb-ft.
The images released by NIO show the car's smart keys, which are wirelessly chargeable in the center console, just like smart phones. The phone app shows the vehicle's remaining charge, which in the photographed car appears to offer 310 km or 192.6 miles of range at less than full capacity; NIO has disclosed earlier that the European test cycle range of a fully charged ES8 should be around 220 miles, out of its 70kWh battery pack which is said to be good for 2,000 charges. A ten-minute charge should give it a 62-mile range, but the big deal is that the ES8's batteries are designed to be swapped, even by owners. The swap should only take three minutes, and it can be done at any of NIO's upcoming 1,100 Power Swap stations the company plans to build by 2020.
All ES8s will be made-to-order, customized to taste, for Chinese customers for starters. Orders will be taken via NIO's own app. The cars also have what NIO calls the world's first in-car AI system, for infotainment and more.
