When a consumer plans to buy a car, what factors will they consider?
As a consumer, the first thing you consider when buying a car is the one or two major advantages of the car that appeal to you. Then, you compare the shortcomings according to your own needs before making the final choice.
For a car, the main advantages that are considered mainstream are:
- Appearance
- Driving assistance ability
- Energy replenishment system
- Various detailed functions
- Luxurious interior feel
- Three-electric hard indicators
- Driving experience
No car can achieve the best level in all of these seven indicators at the same price point.
So, what kind of car is the NIO ET7? GAC Aion believes that this is a car with a long list of advantages, with no obvious shortcomings, and a car that can make people feel excited.
On January 9th, 2021, at the NIO Day ET7 launch event, consumers learned that the car comes with top-level driving assistance hardware, monthly payment options for driving assistance software, as well as excellent energy replenishment and service experiences that NIO has already proven. The all-new NT2 platform also increases expectations for the car.
During the test drive, consumers found the interior to be elegant and the rear space to be extremely spacious and comfortable.
Ultimately, the final evaluation of the car hinges on the driving experience of the NIO. The previous 866 (ES8, ES6, and EC6) chassis was very controversial, with some people fiercely criticizing it for feeling like sailing on a ship, while others think it’s adequate. If the car were to maintain the 866 chassis level, it would be a clear demerit for some people.
Some people say to GAC Aion: “Only if the ET7 has a good chassis can it be considered truly good.”
With the wider availability of ET7 test drives and deliveries, the mainstream evaluations of the chassis are coming out, with most people giving high praise. Some old BMW 7 Series owners said: “In terms of the chassis alone, the difference with the 7 Series is not significant, the sound system is not as good, and the luxury feel in the rear is also slightly inferior. However, if we were to consider switching to an electric car, the ET7 would not be a bad choice.”
The ET7’s tuning style is different from GAC Aion’s famous Zeekr 001, which can be said to extremely emphasize comfort. The ET7’s road feel response is more clear, and there is no inherent difference between the two styles, purely a matter of choice.
When it comes to suspension tuning, a harder setup will bring a better handling experience. Tesla is a representative automaker for this style, and the Zeekr 001 is tuned to be very soft, with exceptional shock-absorbing qualities.
In general, the ET7’s chassis is roughly equivalent to 90% of Tesla’s handling experience and 90% of the Zeekr 001’s comfort, successfully achieving that the chassis is not a demerit and even becoming an advantage.The ET7’s self-developed chassis domain controller (ICC) is the brain of the suspension system, centrally controlling all suspension parameters. As the first fully self-developed chassis domain controller in China, it can adjust all components of the chassis domain.
When driving on smooth roads, the software automatically reduces damping to maintain a smooth driving experience. In areas with large undulations, it increases hard damping to avoid unnecessary shaking.
Of the three traditional components of oil-powered cars, the engine and transmission have already been left far behind by electric cars’ overall powerful acceleration performance, while the chassis represents another challenge that electric cars pose to oil cars.
Since 2021, electric cars have produced three models with excellent chassis tuning: the Xpeng P7, the NIO ET7, and the Zeekr L7.
The window of time for traditional auto companies to transition is becoming shorter and shorter, and the technological advantages they once held are also diminishing.
It will be difficult to stop the ET7, which has filled in its gaps.
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.