In the 42HOW car owner credibility mini-program, there is a group of new and old certified car owners who are happy to share, love life, and like pure electric cars.

In the trend of pursuing new technology, they are the ones who try new things. In their spare time, I like to chat with them and they will share with you what you want to know. In the communication, I think some interesting stories and car purchase experiences of them can be shared with everyone, so I established the “Car Owner Credibility” column, allowing more car owners to express their opinions, and also hoping to help more friends who want to understand pure electric cars.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to bring them up. We can gradually improve this column together and make progress together.

In this issue, we choose the brand “NIO”.

As we all know, in the sales volume of 2019 by NIO, NIO ES6 played an indispensable role, from nearly 2,000 in August to more than 2,000 for three consecutive months. This is considered a success for the new energy vehicle model of around 400,000 yuan.

But what about its real owners’ evaluations behind its sales? What happened from their needs to their deep love for this car and even this brand? I invited three ES6 car owners from the 42HOW NIO car owner group to share their car-buying stories and their opinions of NIO with you.

“I hope to contribute my little effort for NIO.”

My impression of this car owner is that he never forgets to advertise for NIO.

Mr. Q, a car owner in Beijing, had already had a fuel car with out-of-town license plates before purchasing the ES6, but he was unable to get a license number with the new policy, so he turned to electric cars, which became his inevitable requirement. So the question is, what brand to buy?

As fate would have it, Mr. Q had a friend who owned a Roewe electric car who, after seeing NIO Day in 2017, told him that this car (NIO ES8) should be good. Out of curiosity, Mr. Q went to check it out and downloaded the NIO App after seeing the press conference.

He told me: “After watching it overall, I found that this car is really good.”

At the end of 2017, Mr. Q went to the “Cowshed” in Zhongguancun to have a look at the ES8. According to him, the fuel indicator had just been switched to the new energy index at that time.When it comes to the impression of ES8, his first feeling is “big, bigger than Tesla Model X.” However, at that time, the UI was not yet available, so he could only look at the appearance and interior. He felt that ES8 was the only electric car that was acceptable at that time besides Model X. After that, he had been following ES8 for over a year. Of course, there was also a reason for this since the new energy index had not been determined at that time.

As for his view on NIO, Mr. Q summarized it with two words: texture and car-making philosophy. “I studied vehicle engineering in undergraduate school. NIO’s car structure is very well designed, arguably over-designed. So I think this car can definitely be purchased without any deception.”

His tone was firm, not like a salesperson pushing a car to you, but sharing his own view. If I were to label the NIO owners I encountered, I think it would be “happy to share” and “enthusiastic.”

They possess the sharing spirit of the internet, generously sharing with you what you want to know.

Then he continued, “I watched the 2017 launch event and felt that this enterprise is really in line with my aesthetic, and we 80s are not a group that judges things based solely on others’ experiences. You can look at their vision, the stage design and copywriting, and their explanation of the product. This is not a ‘tuhai’ brand. It has a global development team and localized services that understand the Chinese market. This is what a Chinese new technology enterprise should look like. You may have noticed that I really like this brand. Because NIO Day just passed recently, I really want to say something for NIO, as a car owner, I can feel the hard work they have gone through.”

Yes, NIO was really difficult this year, with all sorts of negative news coming together. It wasn’t until later that public opinion turned around. In Mr. Q’s words, I could sense his love for NIO, his expectation for NIO, and the hardships he had gone through.

One of the hardships was that Mr. Q’s father had always opposed buying NIO. “People’s inherent impression of electric cars is too negative, and it’s a domestically produced car. For people of his generation, Volkswagen is a god. He discusses dual clutch transmissions with me every day, and the people around him will question it when they hear about it. Some friends do not believe in technological progress and say that all new things are unreliable.” He seemed somewhat helpless when he said this.

So he summarized that the majority of people’s perspectives or inherent knowledge on things are relatively backward.

But then he became proud again: “Although my father has always opposed me buying NIO, when the old man got on the car, he didn’t say a word (in a way, he acknowledged ES6). And the people around me began to praise it when they saw my car. After experiencing the 0-100km/h acceleration, they basically recognized it. The 0-100km/h of an electric car is more incredible than that of a gasoline car, especially when sitting in the front passenger seat.” When happy, this man who was already a father behaved like a big boy.

Mr.Q’s NIO ES6

Speaking of the acceleration of ES6, I also have some feelings. The first time to experience ES6 gave me unexpected results. In sports mode, the instantaneous explosive power of ES6 is faster than ES8, but the intensity of the explosion is not as good as ES8. The difference between 4.7-second and 4.4-second acceleration to 100 km/h can still be felt. The acceleration experience of ES6 does not give you that thrilling feeling as ES8, but for ordinary consumers, 4.7 seconds is already enough for daily driving and can bring a certain sense of excitement.

I asked Mr.Q, what is the fundamental factor that prompted you to buy this car?

“For family needs, we need an excellent pure electric car as a tool for commuting and short-distance travel in Beijing. NIO happened to meet most of my requirements for an electric car. But later, I really liked this brand, and last weekend, I even helped them sell cars.” For the matter of helping NIO sell cars, he expressed a sense of happiness and participation in his words.

Dual fans of Tesla and NIO

According to Mr.Q, both he and his wife are dual fans of Tesla and NIO. When the quota came in 2019, they were not very satisfied with Tesla Model 3, mainly because the fit and finish level of the body parts, interior level, and space did not meet their requirements.

However, he continued to say: “This may be determined by the culture and attitude of the company, which some people may appreciate, but at least we as a couple won’t pay for it. At that time, ES6 had just started delivery. Compared with ES8, ES6 met our expectations from any angle, so the outcome was very clear.”

Regarding NIO ES6, Mr.Q expressed: “It should be a partner, not only my tool, but also a way for me to express my values and a bottom line to ensure my safety. Quality is above everything. Then, with the contact with NIO, I gradually accepted and recognized the brand and attitude of NIO.”

Mr.Q’s “NIO Volunteer” badge

The thing I value most about ES6

“Functionality. I think I understand the functionality more comprehensively. The comprehensive quality of this car, and even NOMI, I think it is a thoughtful design.” He said.

“When my wife and I test drove this car, we both had a strong impulse to just drive it away, not because of any specific feature. NIO’s concentrated test drive will let you experience a series of modes, such as straight-line acceleration, slalom, cross-axle, etc., and finally a road test. After all this, it’s hard to say which specific point moved you, but you just think, it’s the one.”So, is it the overall driving experience of the NIO ES6 that impressed you?

“Well, you could say that. I think it’s important to choose the best within my ability,” replied Mr.Q.

Broken Taillight on the Third Day of Pickup

“During the period when I was getting my license plate, I had an interesting incident, such as when I accidentally broke the taillight on my car on the third day after picking it up. However, NIO was very efficient in repairing it and it did not delay the licensing process. The repair process took about an hour,” he said. As for NIO’s service, he gave a satisfactory answer.

Turning Cooperation into Selling ES6

“I have a friend who has a Mercedes-Benz S600 who also wants to buy an ES6. He came to Beijing to discuss some cooperation with me before. I went to the high-speed rail station to pick him up. After he got into my car, we rode in silence all the way, then he scanned the QR code to make an appointment for a test drive.”

You’re selling a car before starting a collaboration?

“Haha, his S600 had suspension problems and was sold. He said that the interior and performance of the ES6 were similar to that of S600.”

Do You Often Have Range Anxiety?

“At present, the range is really enough for me for my high-frequency short-term trips out of town. The 70 kWh battery of the ES6 is sufficient. So, I won’t upgrade yet. If I need 100 kWh, I’ll just rent it. I haven’t experienced any range anxiety yet. When I have about 60 kilometers of range left, I basically go to the battery swapping station or the fast charging pile. To be honest, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used my personal charging pile. My home is in a power grid area where there is a free battery swapping station within two kilometers, which only takes about five minutes.”

As for battery swapping stations, Mr.Q still has high expectations, saying that there will be a battery swapping station on the highway someday and it will eventually cover the entire highway network.

Wild Wolf disco style as requested by Mr.Q

Areas Where Mr.Q is Not Satisfied with the ES6

• It’s prone to losing signal. “It happens from time to time and it’s difficult to fix. When the mobile network is normal, it just suddenly loses its signal. Sometimes it’s very frustrating.”

• The electronic fan’s vibration isolation is not good enough. “When the electronic fan runs at full speed, it transmits vibration to the accelerator pedal and steering wheel. I think the electronic fan’s vibration isolation is not good enough, which occasionally affects the driving experience.”

• The clarity of the 360° cameras and driving recorder cameras is average, and the stitching effect of the 360° surround view needs to be improved.

“These problems are discussed by car owners every day. Fortunately, NIO will gradually improve them based on their feedback. However, the speed of improvement for the network module is somewhat slow,” Mr.Q said.Mr.Q continued, “In terms of the speed of building battery swap stations, it should be faster. There are some areas that have gaps, and some swap stations have queues. These are realistic issues. Continual optimization is also necessary on the software side. Currently, there are not many bugs, but some areas need to be strengthened, such as NP functionality, NoA, which is the development of automatic driving based on navigation, better automatic parking, and optimizations of details such as enriching the content displayed on the head-up display, further integration of Baidu Maps, low-level charging piles, and swap station data, and further enhancement of NOMI voice assistant functionality.”

At this point, I was thinking, “Are you a ‘mole’ that has infiltrated here? You are so detail-oriented.” Unexpectedly, he continued, “There is too much to say about software. I am in this field myself, so I don’t know if I’m being too meticulous.” I almost forgot that Mr.Q, the car owner, is a software talent.

Have you ever encountered insufficient warning from the car navigation system at crossroads?

“Baidu Maps indeed has this problem, and the warning is not very timely. But I am a Virgo. I would rather rely on the in-car system than use Amap on my phone.”

How successful is the use of NP in daily life, such as turning corners? “There are no big problems on the corners on the expressway, but some ramps are not good.”

Overall satisfaction with ES6

If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction with ES6” and “Whether to recommend it to family or friends” on a five-point scale, what score would you give? A total of 5 stars.

“Five-star satisfaction, and 4.5 stars for recommendation.” Mr.Q said so.

Regarding why the recommendation score is 4.5 stars, Mr.Q answered, “Others may think that electric cars are unreliable or prefer Tesla, and there are doubts about NIO itself. Some people think of NIO as being like medicine. For most people, electric cars are still considered unreliable, and some doubts are normal. Some doubts are also about NIO’s OEM model, but it’s not good to explain too much.”

Afterwards, this car owner even joked with me, “If you want to buy a car, come to me and use my QR code.” Thus, we all laughed. No wonder 48% of NIO’s sales volume in 2019 came from car owner recommendations. I believe this.

As for helping NIO sell cars, his remark made me sigh with admiration for the hearts of NIO’s car owners. He said, “This is the self-cultivation of NIO car owners. I hope to contribute to NIO in my own way.”

“NIO has become a part of life, like a member of the family.”

There are some differences between the rice explosion car owner and Mr.Q.# Introduction

Mi Bao was introduced in mid-2019, and NIO was first learned about at the NIO Day in 2018. According to Mi Bao, his friend first brought up the topic, and later he specifically learned about the ES6 car owner.

In Mi Bao’s opinion, the NIO brand has several layers of value: “First of all, the car itself is a high-performance luxury electric vehicle, followed by the representative car owner service and experience. This is relatively innovative in the industry, so to some extent, NIO is an industry disruptor. Not everyone can accept these innovations, so there will be more resistance in promoting them, such as battery swapping and one-touch charging.”

For him, NIO and ES6 have already become a part of life, a bit like a family member. “After having an ES6, social, hobbies, and lifestyles will all change. This is also the third layer of car owner value, NIO is a way of life, which only a few car brands and even fewer brands in other industries can achieve.”

According to Mi Bao, there are many NIO second-generation kids who come together and play through NIO centers and NIO-organized activities.

“There is a slogan: NIO first generation come together and walk together. NIO second generation play together and have fun together. This has already gone beyond the car itself.” He explained the added value that NIO brought to him from the perspective of life and brought happiness beyond the car itself.

Value Recognition

Joining NIO was viewed by him as a recognition of value.

“It’s a bit like getting an MBA, but the impact may be greater. For example, when you go to any city, you will go to the ‘cow shack’ to take a photo, get to know the local car friends, and they will also treat you warmly. Car brands that greet each other on the road should be rare. The most important difference is the natural connection brought about by value recognition, which, thanks to those car blackguards, strengthened the sense of people embracing and recognizing each other in this community. The car owner clubs are just a manifestation of this consciousness.”

“As far as social activities are concerned, many activities are initiated by car owners themselves, which may not be related to the official. This is organized around our lives and not necessarily around car brands. For example, in the NIO community, there is a fan group called “Wei Fan Tuan”, which specifically organizes food and dinner events, there are many such communities. There is also a third-party organization called NIO Ying that leads outdoor activities,” he continued.

“There are many such communities, which are not found by NIO, but are initiated by some professional individuals among car owners. Therefore, the NIO community cannot be said to belong to the NIO official. Many people also do business through this platform, selling car supplies, fresh fruits, car beauty products, pets, and so on,” he showed me various NIO groups on WeChat, just as he said.

Reasons for Choosing ES6

“At first, I didn’t think too much about it. I just wanted to buy a car. In Shanghai, if you have charging conditions, you should choose a green license plate for new energy vehicles. I wanted to buy an electric vehicle because there weren’t many choices and I had never driven one before. After I got in touch with NIO, I became more and more addicted. The more I learned, the more I loved this brand and its people.“

He told me that he originally planned to buy a car in 2020, but then he moved it up because the subsidy was declining. His family of five didn’t have enough cars with just two, so they needed to buy more.

“There’s a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a Tiguan at home, and my wife and I each need one, and the old folks already have one. When I was choosing, I considered BYD, Tesla, and NIO.” Yeah, that’s a typical NIO owner.

米爆 values luxury and comfort, and car with good NVH. “If I didn’t buy NIO, I might have bought a Lei car (without considering the license plate). So I wouldn’t have chosen the Model 3, and the Model S and Model X were too expensive. First of all, I don’t object to domestic brands. Secondly, NIO has created a brand image that is middle and high-end, especially when I first saw the Niu House located in the first-tier downtown area.” He said.

There are rumors that you guys are like pyramid schemes, what do you think of that?

“Well, being considered a pyramid scheme is normal. After all, it looks a bit like one, and we often joke about it ourselves. But I believe that people who buy cars for four or five hundred thousand yuan won’t join a pyramid scheme for one thousand points, so it’s actually a kind of spontaneous sharing.” For this matter, 米爆 just laughed it off.

He said, “NIO is a system worth delving into. Many people who criticize it don’t understand it, so they have a natural bias. The more you understand, the less likely you are to criticize it blindly. That’s why the public opinion was much better after the article ‘William Li, the most miserable person in 2019 about NIO’ was published. Because many people learned about NIO through that article, they wouldn’t blindly criticize it. I think this article is a watershed, especially when you follow along with William Li’s entrepreneurial journey. You will have more empathy and perspective on how difficult it is. Although the car itself has many problems, it is not overly demanding because it goes beyond the traditional transactional relationship. Let’s treat others how we would like to be treated.”

米爆’s NIO ES6

How do people around you view your purchase of the ES6?“My family members are more supportive, but many of my friends do not understand. You know, haha. Like that song (“Self-cultivation of electric car owners”), others think it’s self-deprecating and funny, but car owners will shed tears when they listen to it. Being asked about it too much requires strong psychological resilience.”

Some designs of ES6 are preferred

“There are two good designs: the queen co-driving with children’s mode, which allows the mother to sit in the co-driver’s seat from the back seat and can move the seat to the back if needed. My child is 3 years old and sleeps in the car. It’s very considerate to have a rear seat mute mode in the sound system. Previously, my wife and two people in the back seat slept during long trips and could not make any noise. Now, my wife can chat in the front seat and listen to music. Plus, NP driving is much more comfortable.”

Changes brought by ES6 to life

“The most intuitive change is that the mileage is doubled compared to the original car. Maybe because the car is easy to drive, maybe because the operating cost is low, I am more willing to go out and run because even if I go further, the process is more enjoyable and there is no economic burden. Buying a worry-free service is more cost-effective the more you drive.”

Do you have range anxiety?

“The range anxiety problem is basically non-existent. I have been driving it for more than half a year, and I have only fast-charged once. It was to claim a charging voucher by charging 5 yuan at the Jiu Long Mountain Scenic Area in Ningbo. The rest are battery swaps, and I also have my own charging pile.”

Areas where ES6 is not satisfactory

“The 360-degree camera feels like a 5-year-old picture quality; it still disconnects from time to time; the back seat does not have seat adjustment.” For the areas where ES6 is not satisfactory, Mi Bao mentioned these points.

Mi Bao’s NIO ES6

Overall satisfaction with ES6

If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction with ES6” and “Would you recommend it to family or friends”, how would you rate it? A total of 5 stars.

“The satisfaction score is 4.5, and the remaining 0.5 points are left to areas that need improvement. I would recommend it with 5 points, mainly because the number of people who know about NIO is still small, but once they understand, their opinion is generally very good, so I recommend that people get to know it and decide whether or not to buy based on their personal needs. Give NIO a chance and it will give you a surprise. That’s what I mean.”

Finally, Mi Bao said that he personally likes cars and now his family is interested in electric cars. Although they will consider changing cars in the future, they will not consider buying gasoline cars again. Even though his wife likes cars like Lexus RC, they probably won’t buy them. This can be considered a case of switching from gasoline cars to electric cars.

“I have loved cars since childhood, my mom said the first words I ever said were ‘car car’.” In the eyes of this car enthusiast, a car is an extension of the driver’s personality.

The fate of Chao Wen Dao and ES6 began at the NIO Day event in 2018: “At that time, I felt that NIO was very far away from me. Although the city I live in is the provincial capital, it can only be considered a third-tier city, and the popularity of electric cars was not high enough. Until later, I saw someone in my social circle ordered the ES8 and I became interested again. I went to test drive my friend’s car after he received it, and it was amazing. I decided to switch to NIO for my next car.”

The first scoop of dog food from Chao Wen Dao.

Reasons for Purchasing the ES6

According to Chao Wen Dao, “I felt that an electric car was suitable for my family because 80% of our driving is in the city, and we have a parking spot where we can install a charging station. NIO also eliminates the issue of battery obsolescence that other electric cars face. I live in the south where the temperature never drops below zero, and Fuzhou is not a big city, so an electric car is suitable for me. Plus, comparing luxury and performance at the same price point, which car can beat NIO?” He spoke confidently and convincingly.

“The other cars I was considering at the time were the BMW X3 and the Tesla Model 3, and I also placed an order for the Li Xiang ONE, but I later canceled because there were no charging stations in my city. I wasn’t fully satisfied with the older model of the ES8’s range. For example, if I drove from Fuzhou to Xiamen, I would need to recharge once in the middle with an ES8, while the ES6 can go straight to Xiamen. After considering all the gasoline and electric cars on the market, I made a rational choice in selecting the ES6.” Chao Wen Dao explained.

So it seems you are someone who likes to try new things?

“That’s right, I am open to trying new things, but I will fully understand it before making a decision. I used to be a bigger fan of Li Xiang than Li Bin. Li Xiang is our idol from the 1980s, and he was so successful with Autohome at such a young age, and he’s relatively low-key. To be honest, before I got to know him, I thought Li Bin was too arrogant on the internet after founding NIO, and I didn’t like him. But after learning more about him, I have a great respect for Li Bin because he has achieved all the things he bragged about at the NIO Day event. Yes, their success is for a reason.” In his words, you could feel Chao Wen Dao’s admiration for the two founders as a fan.

The second scoop of dog food from Chao Wen Dao.Cars are an extension of the owner’s personality.

“I have loved cars since I was little. My mom said that the first word I ever said was ‘car’. What kind of car a person drives can really reflect their personality and attitude towards life,” says the automotive expert.

“Unfortunately, China’s automotive culture has always been lacking in atmosphere, but NIO’s community is an exception, with a very innovative automotive culture. (When choosing a car) I prioritize practicality, and then consider personalization once the car meets my requirements. Within my own abilities, I go all out, so I appreciate NIO’s battery upgrades that saved me from buying the 84 kWh version at the time. I don’t have that much money, and buying the performance version emptied my savings. I work in a State-owned enterprise and earn a fixed salary, so I am not a typical NIO owner, but I enjoy playing with them, and I can also get to know a lot of resources. That’s something I can’t do if I buy other cars. Bin Ge is also the most approachable CEO I have ever met,” he says as he sends me a photo of himself and Li Bin.

Things I like about ES6

“If there are any issues, I can directly call out NOMI and say ‘I want to provide feedback’, and it will reply within 24 hours, and can basically solve any problem. In terms of convenience, basic vehicle operations are done through speech, which is very convenient. Also, as I approach the car, it automatically unlocks, the breathing light comes on, and the door handle pops open, which gives it a sense of ceremony,” he says.

Do you have range anxiety?

“If you plan the route in advance with NIO in the service group, you won’t have range anxiety. I sometimes drive back and forth between Fuzhou and Xiamen, and the furthest I have driven is about 400 km, and I charged once in the middle which took 30 minutes. If the ES6 is driven at 110 km/h, it is very energy efficient, but driving at 120 km/h only allows for 280-300 km of range,” he says. When I asked him whether he would choose the 100 kWh battery, he answered confidently, “No, the 70 kWh is sufficient for Fuzhou. If I have a long trip, I will choose to rent a short-term battery.”

Things he is not satisfied with about ES6

“I am particularly dissatisfied with the reverse image feature, and the first time I started up the central control system, I felt that the startup speed was a bit slow. The NP hasn’t yet included pedestrian recognition, which is also a concern. I also wanted to express that the dashboard has a serious black border problem, but that can be upgraded now. There is also an internet connectivity issue that seems to be hereditary. Sometimes there is suddenly no signal on certain road sections, although my phone has a signal. It takes a while to recover, sometimes seconds, and sometimes tens of minutes, which seems to be related to the area,” he says. All three car owners have encountered internet connectivity issues.

Overall satisfaction with ES6

If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction with ES6” and “Would you recommend it to family or friends” on a scale of up to 5 stars, how would you rate it?”Satisfaction rate is 4.8 stars and recommended rating is 5 stars.” This is what Mr. Chaowen Dao said.

Regarding why the satisfaction rate is 4.8 stars and the recommended rating is 5 stars, he explained:

“NP is not yet perfect, and even though the car can be designed better, such as with power windows, Lexus’ power windows slow down towards the end while NIO’s are straight up and down. Also, because we need to replace the battery, we cannot install pedals, and a car this large without pedals is indeed inconvenient. The air suspension adjustment in the configuration menu is also more complicated, making it more difficult for my mother to get in and out of the car. In addition, the matrix LED headlights have not been added, and the rubber strip design of the rear door is somewhat unreasonable, but NIO lacks experience and needs to improve. So, 0.2 points are deducted from the satisfaction rate.”

However, the reason for the recommended 5-star rating is that “the car is really a great car. Chinese people just have low trust in Chinese brands and do not believe that there can be such a good car. As more people get to know NIO, they will realize that it is not just about services, but about dedicating themselves to researching and developing cars that are suitable for the Chinese people.”

Final Words

After talking to these car owners, their shared spirit and sincere feelings touched me, because I am also a car enthusiast, and car enthusiasts resonate with each other. Sometimes liking something doesn’t require a reason, it can be a chance encounter or an accidental connection. This is true for car brands and cars as well. Whether it is traditional fuel cars or new energy vehicles, with the tide of the times, it is inevitable for new things to replace the old. I think we should not have prejudice.

“You can choose not to accept it, but you should not have prejudice.” This is my attitude towards new energy vehicles.

“If you have a story, I have a pen. If you want to share your car buying story, please add my WeChat: YY8866776.”

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.