New Nio EV has hot-swappable batteries

Chinese electric car maker Nio is on the curve. It got the world’s attention with its Nurburgring-smashing EP9 electric supercar, priced at US$1.48m, and now it’s unveiled its real-world car. The ES8 is a seven-seater electric SUV, about the same size as a Range Rover, and it’s due in 2018. Yawn? Not entirely, as it has a feature that has caused much chin-scratching around the Stuff office – hot-swappable batteries. Instead of waiting around for it to charge, you just ram in a fresh battery and (silently) roar off again. Now, it helps that it’s a Chinese market car, thus enabling Nio to build the necessary network of battery stops… but it’s an intriguing solution nonetheless.

Fraser Macdonald consulting editor

About

Fraser used to wear a Psion Series 3 palmtop in a shoulder holster. Perhaps he still does.Either way, his lifelong mission - including fourteen years for Stuff - has been to see whether the consumer electronics industry can ever replicate that kind of cyborgian joy.So far: nope. Despite a plan to combine a action camera and Olympus Eye-Trek goggles to become Man Who Sees The Vision Of A Man Three Inches Taller Than Himself.He also likes mountain bikes, motorbikes, cars, helicopters. Still thinks virtual surround is witchcraft. Dislikes jetskis, despite never having been on one.