Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 17 at 6:30 AM, William Bin Li, the founder, chairman, and CEO of NIO, embarked on a live test drive from Shanghai to evaluate the extended range of the 150kWh battery pack with an ET7 sedan. By 10:47 PM on the same day, NIO officially announced that the 150kWh battery had covered a remarkable 1,044 kilometers in a total driving time of 12.4 hours (excluding stops), averaging a speed of 83.9 km/h.
Prior to the latest move, inspired by three Dutch users who drove the NIO ET7 continuously for 72 hours and 51 minutes, covering 6,000 kilometers from the northern to the southern end of the European continent, Mr. Li decided to personally test the high-speed endurance performance of the 150kWh battery.
Li stated that the main purpose of this test was to demonstrate that electric vehicles can travel anywhere traditional oil-fueled cars can. Moreover, he advised CEOs of other automotive companies to personally test the real range of their electric vehicles.
Now, let's delve into the bright spot of the test—the 150kWh battery. Described as a non-thermal-runaway pouch CTP (cell-to-pack) battery with cells developed in-house by NIO, it boasts a high energy density of 360Wh/kg. This battery is designed to be compatible with all models built on NIO's first and second-generation platforms and is expected to go into volume production in April next year.
According to NIO's initial plan, delivery of the 150kWh battery was supposed to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022. Mr. Li attributed the delay to the advanced technology that required more time to be matured. He added NIO will employ this cutting edge battery technology, paired with its upgradable battery swap services, to address specific user scenarios and alleviate users’ concerns about range anxiety.
NIO's battery R&D team, established in 2021 with over 400 members, is deeply involved in various aspects, including battery materials, cell and pack design, battery management system, and manufacturing processes.
Despite recent reports indicating a delay in NIO's in-house battery production plans, Mr. Li mentioned in a media interview that the decision was based on the company's assessment, concluding that the project might not improve profit margins within three years. Thus, NIO determined to make batteries through other approaches.
