There are 145 stations like this where NIO owners can change their battery pack in 3 minutes. Source: NIO.com
3 months ago we wrote about the Chinese car brand NIO, which is shooting up the Chinese sales charts. We then wrote that the brand had no Norwegian representative. Now they have - NIO Norway.
The automobile industry in China has a huge domestic market. So big that Western car manufacturers have established their own factories for the Chinese market, and of course there are many Chinese brands we have barely heard of here at home, which produce cars at high speed to meet domestic demand. China has introduced a "New Energy" program to stimulate the production of zero-emission cars. This has provided good conditions for the development of models that are also interesting for Norway.
Chinese cars at full speed to Norway
For now, it seems that it is Chinese MG, XPeng, BYD and Maxus that have gained a hold on the buyers. The model series DFSK and Seres from Dongeng-Sokon will soon be sold through the Gill/Subaru chain. RøhneSelmer was relevant for a while as a dealer, but seems to have withdrawn. The former luxury car brand Hongqi is in the process of establishing car sales in Norway. NIO is currently the last brand to have a Norwegian representative.
The NIO ES6 is an electric SUV with 4-wheel drive and a large battery pack
NIO Norway
The company was registered earlier this month (March 2021). The general manager is Marius Hayler who until recently was general manager of BC Norway - importer of Jaguar and Land Rover. Considering the success of the Jaguar I-Pace, it's safe to say that Hayler has succeeded in bringing an electric car outsider high up the sales charts. NIO Norway is currently a newly started small company apparently subject to a European umbrella organisation. But NIO Norway is not without importance. According to press reports, it is Norway that has been designated as NIO's first export market. It is currently uncertain how the company will organize marketing, sales and follow-up.
Last year, NIO came out with the model ES6. This year, a larger model, the ES8, has been launched. Both can be delivered with either a 70 kw or 100 kw battery – on par with Tesla's largest battery. NIO has announced that it plans to launch a 150 kw "solid state" battery in Q4 2022 for its new self-driving "Tesla-killer" ET7. Car owners with 70 and 100 kW batteries will be able to upgrade their cars with the new super battery. If this is true, NIO will be one of the very first to offer "solid state" battery technology - and the first electric car manufacturer to make it possible to upgrade battery packs.
Battery change in 3 minutes
Many electric car manufacturers have talked about upgrading battery packs – but so far this has been science fiction. NIO has made it possible to change batteries in a short time. In China, there are 145 drive-in stations where NIO owners can change the battery pack in 3 minutes! The service is designed as an alternative to fast charging. Instead of waiting 20-30 minutes to charge, you can continue driving with a fully charged battery after 3 minutes. According to NIO's own video, everything happens automatically, but in reality it requires a lot of manual work. For example, you are not allowed to reverse the car into the changing station yourself. It is true that there is a machine that unscrews the battery, but in the video below you can clearly see a guy in the background operating a lever or something similar. The actual change takes place in 3 minutes, assuming there is no one ahead of you in the queue – and assuming the station has fully charged batteries available. Each station can only have 14 battery packs inside at the same time. In practice, there can sometimes be long waiting times for this service.
Hardly for Norway
Changing batteries "on the go" is hardly something you should do unless you rent battery packs. Who wants to replace the battery pack from their new car to continue driving with the battery pack from a 2-year-old taxi? Renault is one of the car manufacturers that has come the furthest in offering battery rental. It is available in the rest of Europe, but not in Norway. We prefer to own – not rent.
Extended service offer in China
Like Tesla, NIO offers free roadside charging via its own charging network. They can build that in Norway too. But one of the offers that is unlikely to be implemented in Norway is a mobile charging service where car owners can order charging at the touch of a button, no matter where they are. The electricity is then delivered from a van – an electric van of course. Another service is “24/7 On-Call Valet Charging” where someone will come and pick up the car and return it with a fully charged battery. With the well-developed charging networks we have in Norway, it is difficult to see any need for anything other than self-service charging stations.
It will be interesting to follow the development in NIO. Maybe in two years we can buy premium electric cars with "solid state" battery technology and a range of 1000 km?
Interior ambiance in the "Tesla killer" NIO ET7. Source: NIO.com
Facts
NIO ES6 100 kw
Range converted to WLTP: 480-520 km
Range NEDC: 610 km
544 HK
0-100: 4,7 sec.
NIO ES8 100 kw
Range converted to WLTP: 460-500 km
Range NEDC: 580 km
544 HK
0-100: 4,9 sec.
NIO ES8 – new model this year can change the battery pack in 3 minutes
See
Nio ET5 – a good first impressionUpgrade anxietyThe Chinese are coming!
The DFSK SERES SF5 is a crossover with a powerful battery pack and high performance that will arrive in Norway in 2021 (source: dfsk.com)
China's "New Energy" is forcing Chinese car manufacturers to switch to rechargeable cars. The transformation of the vehicle fleet in Norway means that new Chinese electric cars find their way here before other western countries.
Made in China
It is not certain that the dealers state that the new BMW iX3 is produced by Brilliance in Shenyang or that the Volvo XC60 is now produced in Chengdu together with Polestar. Other European car models are also fully produced in China, such as the Mercedes EQC, Volkswagen ID.4, Audi e-tron, Volvo XC40 Recharge and Tesla Model 3 – to stick to electric cars. These models are produced in China only to meet demand in the Chinese domestic market.
Chinese class trip
It is no secret that China has enjoyed formidable economic growth since the turn of the century. In 2019, 21 million cars were produced, of which only 3% went for export. The internal car market in China is unbelievably large, and Chinese people with strong purchasing power will not settle for anything. In addition, the Chinese authorities have introduced regulations with regard to "Corporate average fuel consumption and new energy". It is a program that will gradually switch domestic car production to "New Energy". The goal for 2020 is for 12% of all vehicles produced to be powered by electricity or hydrogen. Today, China is one of the fastest growing markets for rechargeable cars.
Much in common with Norway
It is the demand for electric cars that makes Chinese cars interesting in Norway. Today, Chinese car models are sent to Norway as the first western exporting country. Several completely new models are already in the focus of Norwegian players and may appear on Norwegian roads during 2021.
BYD Han – battery pack of 76,9 Kwh. Supplied with either front-wheel drive or dual motor four-wheel drive (source: www.bydauto.com.cn)
BYD
BYD (Build Your Dreams) has already gained a foothold in Norway, primarily through the new electric articulated buses that run in Oslo. BYD's vans and passenger cars are distributed in Norway via RSA Bil . The model program currently consists of a van and an SUV – BYD T3 and BYD Tang . Norway is the first Western export country for these models. BYD Tang is a full-size electric SUV with a large battery, long range and Tesla performance. The red sedan in the picture is a Tesla S "look-a-like" that is not imported to Norway – for now. BYD Han ended up in 4th place among electric cars sold in China in October. This is one of several Chinese models that can give Tesla competition in Norway, provided the price is "right".
BYD Inn
Available as Luxury (FWD), Premium (FWD) and AWD
Battery capacity: 76,9 Kwh
Range:
– FWD: 605 km NEDC
– AWD: 550 km NEDC
Engine:
– FWD – Front: 218 HP, 330 Nm
– AWD – Front: 218 HP, 330 Nm – Rear: 268 HP, 350 Nm
0-100: 7,9s (FWD), 3,9s (AWD)
Length, width, height in cm: 498 x 191 x 150
Wheelbase: 292 cm
Not taken into Norway - but BYD has a Norwegian representative
Atmospheric interior in BYD Han – one of several Chinese Tesla challengersBYD Tang – new electric SUV with large battery and high performance (source: www.bydauto.com.cn)
THE WORLD OF Tang
Length, width, height in cm: 487 x 195 x 172
Wheelbase: 282 cm
Battery capacity: 86,4 kWh
Range NEDC: 505 km
Engine: 509 HP, 610 Nm, 4WD
0-100: 4,6 seconds,
Top speed: 180 km/h
Own weight: 2295 kg
Max trailer weight: 1410 kg
Price in Norway: 599
SAIC Maxus
Maxus is represented in Norway through RSA Bil . The vans e-Deliver 3 and EV80 have had the greatest success. Among others, Posten and Bring have purchased several cars. The Maxus Euniq 5 is a 7-seater passenger car for 400,000 that also comes on green plates. It is undoubtedly a lot of car for the money.
The Maxus Euniq 5 is sold as a 7-seater or on green labels (source: www.maxus.com)
Maxus Euniq 5
Length, width, height in cm: 482 x 182 x 179
Wheelbase: 280 cm
Battery capacity: 52,5 kWh
Range according to the factory: 260 km WLTP (combined) and 356 km (urban).
Engine: 177 HP, 310 Nm, front wheel drive
Top speed: 160km/h
Own weight: 1810 kg
Number of seats: 7
Max trailer weight: 400 kg
Price in Norway: 399
The MG ZS EV was the best-selling Chinese electric car model in Norway in 2020. Sold through Norwegian dealers.
MG ZS
Length, width, height in cm: 431 x 181 x 164
Wheelbase: 259 cm
Seats: 5
Engine: 141 HP, 353 Nm, FWD
Top speed: 140 km/h
0-100: 8,2 seconds
Battery capacity: 44,5 Kwh
Range: 263 km WLTP
Trailer not possible
Price in Norway (Comfort): 239
– (Luxury): 259
Xpeng is considered China's 10th largest electric car manufacturer. This summer, the Norwegian importer ordered 100 cars of the G3 model. Norway is the car brand's first export country and opening to the European market - something that was highlighted in the Chinese press. Xpeng is being brought to Norway by Zero Emission Mobility . The company was founded by the people behind Norske Bunader , who have made success by sewing Norwegian national costumes in China. Today, cars and national costumes are imported from the same premises.
Xpeng G3 (source:xiapeng.com)
XPeng G3
Length, width, height in cm: 445 x 182 x 161
Wheelbase: 263 cm
Seats: 5
Engine: 194 HP, 300 Nm, FWD
Battery capacity: 66,5 Kwh
Range: 451 km WLTP
Trailer not possible
Price in Norway (G3 Smart): 358
– (G3 Premium): 379
New production facility
The XPeng G3 was put into production in 2018 at Haima (Hainan and Mazda) as part of the state-owned car group FAW Group. This summer, Xpeng opened its own production facility in Zhaoqing. The all-new model P7 is now produced at this facility. The P7 has performance and range completely on par with the Tesla Model 3. It also looks very good. In recent months, the new model has outsold the G3 in China.
Xpeng P7 – The Tesla challenger
Currently only sold in China, but since Xpeng has a Norwegian distributor, it is not inconceivable that it will appear here at home. The P7 can be delivered in four versions – two with rear-wheel drive and two with four-wheel drive. The two with rear-wheel drive have a range of 586 km and 706 km (!). The versions with four-wheel drive and dual motor have a range of 562 km. The top model "Peng Wing" has doors that tilt upwards like on a Lamborghini. An obvious courtship to Tesla customers. The P7 also offers self-driving technology. According to rumours, a former employee of Tesla should have uploaded software for Tesla's autopilot solution to the cloud and taken it over to Xpeng.
The Xpeng P7 is a very beautiful car which, on paper, can challenge the Tesla Model 3. It will probably come to Norway and be sold through the Xpeng dealers (source: www.xiaopeng.com)
DFSK – Dongfeng SOKON
DFSK has factories in China, Indonesia and the USA (MIshawaka, Indiana). The Norwegian importer of Subaru, Gill Gruppen, has set its sights on DFSK's electric cars. They will continue to import new Subaru models, but not 2021 models. The DFSK models that are interesting for Norway are two high-built crossover models – DFSK E3 and DFSK SERES SF5 . The car brand is DFSK, a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Group. In Norway, the cars will probably be marketed under the model name Seres.
DFSK SERES 3 will probably arrive in Norway shortly and will replace Subaru at dealers (source: dfsk.com)
DFSK E3
Model name in China: DFSK SERES 3
Length, width, height in cm: 439 x 185 x 165
Wheelbase: 266 cm
Seats: 5
Engine: 160 HP, 300 Nm
Battery capacity: 52,56 Kwh
Range: 405 km
The brand has a Norwegian representative
DFSK SERES SF5
Brand new model (DFSK SERES 5)
Battery capacity: 90 kWh
Engine: 684 HP, 1039 Nm
0-100: 3,5 seconds
The brand has a Norwegian representative
Can also be supplied with a range extender
See picture at the top of the post!
Chery
Like several other Chinese manufacturers, Chery is a fairly young company. The car press pounced on the brand when they started exporting cars to Western countries 20 years ago. Chery seriously failed crash tests. Moreover, several models were alleged to be copies of Western models. Chery never had any success in Europe, but that may change now. The model Chery eQ5 (referred to as Ant in China) is a modern crossover that I'm pretty sure can be imported to Norway.
Chery eQ5 – medium-sized crossover with 70,1 Kwh battery pack.
chery eQ5
Length, width, height in cm: 463 x 191 x 165
Wheelbase: 283 cm
Net weight 1760 kg
Motorization (minimum): 160 HP, 250 Nm
Motorization (largest): 174 HP, 280 Nm
Battery capacity 70,1 Kwh
Range: 510 km NEDC
Top speed: 170 km/h
NIO
NIO was founded in 2014 to produce electric cars. In the myriad of different models, NIO stands out with its modern and Western design and technology. The NIO ES6 is a car that should attract interest from Norwegian customers. It is a challenger to the Audi e-tron. It was the 10th best-selling electric car in China for October. The same model is also available as a coupe variant under the name EC6. NIO has no Norwegian representative.
The NIO ES6 is an Audi e-tron challenger that is not currently represented in Norway (source: nio.com)
NIO ES6 - Default
Battery capacity: 70 Kwh
Range: 420 km (combined), 490 km (urban)
Motorization: 430 HP (215 front and 215 rear).
0-100: 5,6 seconds –Performance
Battery capacity: 84 Kwh
Range: 430 km (combined), 510 km (urban)
Motorization: 536 HP (215 front and 321 rear).
0-100: 4,7 seconds
Active air suspension, 4WD
Dongfeng - one of China's largest manufacturers has established a new electric car brand Voyah. The prototype looks like a cross between a Fisker Karma and a Tesla Model S (source: www.dfmc.com.cn)
In the throat of Tesla
The Tesla Model 3 has been a huge hit in China. Several car manufacturers are now launching “Tesla killers” – models that are designed to steal customers away from Tesla. Just look at the BYD Han and Xpeng P7, – or the Dongfeng Voyah – a prototype that shows what one of China’s largest car manufacturers can create. Hengchi is a brand new car brand, formed by Chinese big money from the construction company China Evergrande Group. They came out last year and said they would become China’s largest electric car manufacturer in 5 years. There is little doubt that Tesla is on the target.
If someone were to succeed in surpassing Tesla in China, it is not impossible that they could succeed in Tesla's country of Norway as well.
Henqchi was established last year and has big plans backed by Chinese capital. Henqchi 1 fits into the Tesla Model S.
If you are wondering if your car is manufactured in China, you can check if the car's VIN number starts with "L". Car manufacturers do not always choose to state the correct country in the VIN number, but Chinese law requires that all goods exported must be clearly marked where they come from. Therefore, you can trust that cars manufactured in China always show "L" as the first character in the VIN number.
If you are wondering if your car is manufactured in China, you can check if the car's VIN number starts with "L". Car manufacturers do not always choose to state the correct country in the VIN number, but Chinese law requires that all goods exported must be clearly marked where they come from. Therefore, you can trust that cars manufactured in China always show "L" as the first character in the VIN number. 
