ΝΙΟ EL7

FIRST DRIVE Battery-swap tech gives SUV an edge. It's also big on quality and performance

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NIO will soon sell cars in the UK, so we'd better get ready for an alternative vision of how the transition to EVs will play out. The big thing with the company is battery swapping and NIO has built a network of around 900 transfer stations in China that serve as proof of its commitment.

With NIO, you can charge your car's battery as normal, but if you're in a hurry, you can drive into a box that looks like a car wash and have your empty battery automatically swapped in less than five minutes.

The NIO EL7 is a family-size premium SUV with battery-swapping tech built-in. It's already on sale in European markets where the brand has launched, such as Germany and Holland. Priced from just under 74,000 Euros in Germany (about £65,500), the EL7 then requires a monthly payment to lease the battery. It's about £150 for the 75kWh unit or £255 for a 100kWh version. The big advantage of leasing is that you can use the tech and get unlimited battery swaps at no extra charge (until the end of 2023).