New Chinese Electric Car Beats Tesla, Has 578-Mile Range

With its extended range, a new electric SUV from a Chinese automaker is challenging Tesla's Model Y. According to the manufacturer, the new ES7 can travel 578 miles on a single charge versus the Model Y which has a limited range of 330 miles. Teresa Bergen reported recently for Electrek.

Photo Insert: Can the NIO ES7 outdistance Tesla even in China sales?

The sleek new automobile, however, is not a cheap electric answer, costing $70,000. NIO, a major Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, has created the ES7. Bergen added that the interior can be black, white, or brown, with leather upholstery tanned with coffee shells.

Not only are all of the seats heated, but the front seat also massages you. The instrument panel's S-form houses a touchscreen infotainment system and a virtual assistant.

The company says it wants the ES7 to feel like “a second living room,” though it might well have better speakers and lighting than your own, unless you happen to have a 256-color digital waterfall of ambient lighting.

Most exciting of all—and probably most dangerous—you can put on special augmented reality glasses to turn the driver’s seat into a digital cockpit.

There are also numerous safety features. The ES7 will detect blind spots, recognize traffic signs, and assist you in staying in your lane. The automobile will nearly drive itself thanks to 33 sensing systems such as cameras, sensors, radar, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) unit.

One intriguing aspect is that people will buy the car, but not the battery. Instead, NIO offers Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS). Purchasers pay a monthly subscription cost and change out the battery as needed.

So far, there are about a thousand battery swapping stations in China, and the number is growing. NIO has also started introducing this feature to its European market.

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