Background
Without further ado, I bought a whole car and didn’t choose BaaS, and the version I purchased is NIO ES7, 75 kWh version.
The total cost of the car: Vehicle price 471,560 yuan (after national subsidy) + License plate fee 590 yuan + Insurance fee 8,981.27 yuan + Charging pile installation fee 0 yuan.
ES7 delivery time is not too slow, waiting for the car for 83 days.
Order time June 15, 2022.
Lock-in time August 12, 2022.
Delivery time September 6, 2022.
My three favorite points: ADAS, NIO service, the intelligence of the vehicle’s infotainment system.
My three least favorite points: no longer having the remote charging benefit 12 times, the UWB key is sometimes unresponsive, and the interior still feels a bit plasticky.
Why I chose ES7
Introduction
Because my father had been driving a gasoline-powered car for a long time, and since the national subsidy is about to be reduced this year, he wanted to take advantage of the last opportunity, so changing cars became a priority.
There was no charging pile in our home before, so we used NIO’s first-pile rights. The installation process was well-received, the process was standardized, and you didn’t have to worry about anything.
Car selection process
Originally, ES7 was not within our budget range. Last year, we participated in the test drive of the Xpeng P7 in the 42 Garage activity, and we were quite impressed with the Xpeng brand. Therefore, we planned to wait for the launch of the Xpeng G9 to compare with ES7. However, I don’t know what Xpeng did, and there was no news after April, which completely wiped out our patience.
During the same period, my father also test drove the WM Motor M5: there are too few OTA functions for the infotainment system, and the ADAS cannot be OTA, pass.
The Ideal ONE: only 6-seater and 7-seater options are available, and my father wants a 5-seater, pass.
The Leapmotor C11: from the configuration point of view, Leapmotor’s cost-effectiveness is really high. We also test drove it to compare the quality of new energy SUVs at different price points. It lacks luxury and the interior is not delicate enough, pass.
There was also an interesting thing. At first, we wanted to let my father experience the number one new energy car, Tesla. However, when we drove for more than 40 minutes to get to the Tesla store, we were told that we needed to make a reservation in advance for a test drive. Plus, just a while ago, the Model Y had just gone up in price, and the long-range version with ADAS cost more than 400,000 yuan.
So we turned around and went to the NIO center!
Car usage summary
Appearance
Different people have different opinions.The front of the car still features the family design, sharp, with a sporty feel if the front spoiler could extend further like the ET5. While Bin Ge specifically introduced the through-type taillight at the launch event, it still doesn’t have the stunning and recognizable effect of the 668 heartbeat taillight.
The wheels are 20-inch standard low-drag wheels. Initially, I regretted locking in the option but the actual car has good texture with a combination of matte and glossy surfaces. However, the 20-inch Michelin EcoContact 6 tires are not as good for handling in wet and dry conditions as some of the other tires available for an additional cost (the others are specifically tuned by Pirelli for ES7), but they are silent and wear-resistant. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
On the day of delivery, I happened to park next to a BMW iX and took a picture together. To be honest, I personally think that the design of the ES7 is not inferior in any way, and even the sense of technology is one level higher.
Interior
My opinion from the test drive is that the quality of the interior has greatly improved compared to the ET7. The interior design of the NIO NT2.0 platform has really created its own style, even making it difficult for me to find another car that combines technology and luxury in such a harmonious way, and it still retains the distinctive family design language while interpreting NIO’s “second living room” design concept.
I chose the unique Pamir brown interior color of the ES7, which matches perfectly with the Antarctic blue, and is definitely a durable color scheme that is both stable and not dull. The Haptex leather I selected isn’t as soft as Nappa but it’s comfortable enough, and it’s not prone to wrinkles.
As for the areas of dissatisfaction, the interior still has some plastic feel, especially the door trim and the plastic feel at the up and down adjustable part of the steering wheel, as well as the rear seat belts which got caught a few times in the gap between the plastic panels, frightening me into thinking it was damaged.
Soundproofing
The double-layer laminated glass in the front and rear rows of the car has a significant noise reduction effect. However, when the speed exceeds 100 kilometers per hour, some wind noise can still be heard. I hope to see NIO’s active noise reduction function, similar to that of Mercedes-Benz, available through OTA update soon. When that happens, I will definitely give NIO all the credit I can!
Infotainment system
The 8155 infotainment chip, which is currently at the forefront of mass-produced chips, delivers a smooth experience.
I had a camera malfunction once while trying to show off Nomi by asking it to take a picture in front of my friends. However, the problem never occurred again afterwards.
Voice recognition
Compared with Nomi in the past, NIO’s voice interaction has made great strides. It now supports continuous conversation and has an estimated accuracy of 95%. It can even handle ambiguous requests like “I’m a bit cold.” However, I think there is still room for improvement, and more control permissions should be opened up to Nomi. I believe that Nomi, as the soul of NIO’s infotainment system, is a must-have option.
Space
The ES7’s body is larger than that of the ES6, and the front seat rails are also very long. They can be completely stretched out, and have been tested to be tall enough for someone who is 173cm to lie flat. Combined with the flat floor in the rear, it is already spacious compared to vehicles in the same class. There is no problem with folding one’s legs, let alone being cramped.
Storage
Although there is no glove box, the armrest box and the storage space under the center console are still very large, so storage is not a concern.
Audio
The 7.1.4 channel audio system in the NIO ES7 is well-configured and can produce high-quality sound. However, due to the shortage of sound sources, it may not be able to demonstrate its full power under most circumstances. I’m not an audiophile, and I just enjoy the sound, but listening to “Farewell” and “Sunset Boulevard” on the ES7’s audio system is simply amazing.
Energy consumption and endurance
I prefer to drive in “Floor It” mode, and after driving the ES7 for the past few days, the endurance has been about 70-80% of the displayed value. With supercharging stations and battery swapping stations located within three kilometers, range anxiety is not a concern.
I would like to commend the supercharging station at Changxin Film and TV Factory in Baoshan, Shanghai. I went to charge my car on the night I got it, and the NIO staff was very enthusiastic, helping me plug and unplug the charging cable. There’s even a NIO owners’ exclusive rest area nearby, which is clean and well-equipped. The experience was amazing!
Advanced Driving Assistance
At present, ES7’s advanced driving assistance functions have already become the top tier among new power vehicle enterprises. Its ACC and LCC are stable as an old dog, and changing lanes with signals is precise and straightforward, showing the skills of an experienced driver. Its “horns” on the top are not for nothing. On closed expressways or during stop-and-go traffic, it could be enjoyable to use.
In addition, the laser radar can render and recognize the real-time information of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, even presenting data of four lanes of traffic. I hope that ES7’s navigation assistance will be launched soon so that it can catch up with the experience of XPeng NGP.
In conclusion
In fact, ES7 could have become one of the first batches to be delivered in Shanghai (according to the order sequence, it was already in the first delivery list), and the delivery officer even called. However, due to various reasons, the vehicle was not delivered, causing a delay until September 6. But let’s just say that good things come to those who wait!
Being one of the few ES7s running on Shanghai’s roads is already quite lucky.
There is an Easter egg in the delivery photo, have you found it? Hahaha.
Finally, a comment: the delivery ceremony in Shanghai feels much worse than in other regions, without dedicated photographers. After taking pictures, they “assembly-line” dismantled the decoration of the delivery ceremony. Maybe they just want to deliver as soon as possible, which feels like the pace of Tesla’s delivery.
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.