Nine ES8: Now you can buy an electric car

In the past two years, we have had to find out the names of many new car brands, especially from China.

Nine is one of those. They’re opening their first store in the middle of Karl Johans Gate in Oslo these days. Although auto shop is not the right word here. Nio goes his own way and calls it Nio House – because that’s more than just a store. In addition to cars, there is also a library, cafe, game room, customer lounge, etc.

But also the electric car Nio ES8, the first model based on the brand, stands out from all competitors.

Among other things, by being able to replace the entire battery pack, instead of charging it. That’s in three minutes. By the end of 2022, Nio will have as many as 20 battery replacement swap stations, which are conveniently located in relation to where most people travel. Nobody offers this.

We’ve already driven the Nio ES8, read more about it here:

Electric Nio ES8 can be purchased without batteries. It can be rented.

With – and without batteries

But it doesn’t stop there. Nine has many different news in progress. You can buy the car without a battery and thus save approximately 100,000 kroner.

If you buy the ES8 with a battery, the price starts from 609,000 kroner. If you buy it without it, you get it from 519,000 crowns.

Of course, an electric car without a battery is by definition useless. The news and what sets the Nio apart from the others here is that you rent the battery pack. It costs from 1,499 kroner per month, depending on the size of the battery pack.

– I think this sounds like a very interesting solution.

That’s what Ståle Frydenlund, a senior advisor and test manager for the Electric Vehicle Association, says.

Nio shows an interesting solution with the possibility of buying an electric car without batteries, says Ståle Frydenlund of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.

Not least, the price overview gives a good idea of the real price of Nio batteries. But the scheme also raises questions that we don’t yet have definitive answers to. One has to do with switching between different sizes of batteries. It’s important then that genre approval allows for this, but as Nio interprets, this has to be in place, says Frydenlund.

On the market used in a few years

Another thing is what this can do with used car prices when the cars are sold again. How would the market react to a used electric car without a battery, but with an ongoing lease? In the same way, it is impossible to predict whether a car with a “purchased” battery will better keep its price. Time will tell.

But he thinks there are definitely some benefits here, too.

– Yes sure. For those customers who have had to struggle with the battery suspicion, this must be genius. The same if there is a new and better battery technology in the short term. Here the manufacturer is the owner and responsible for the batteries. There is not a single thing to think about for the consumer.

Below is a battery pack for the Nio that is ready to install. The change takes only three minutes.

Find out what suits you

He also believes that it can be a good “deal” to buy an electric car without a battery, although it is new so far and has not been tested on the Norwegian market.

– I probably think a high percentage of Nio cars can be sold without a battery. With this difference in price with and without the battery, you can get the car for a while before the “break-even” point. But here, as in most other cases, I recommend that you sit down with the calculator and calculate a little yourself. Friedenlund concludes that not least considering how long you plan to get the car could be critical here.

Video: Watch our video about the new Nio ES8 here