In 2016, a little-known Chinese company called NextEV relaunched itself at a global party held at the swanky Saatchi gallery in London’s Chelsea. The electric car company would now be called Nio, baby-faced founder William Li told the assembled crowd, competing for attention with its launch model – the 1341bhp EP9 electric hypercar – lurking menacingly on a nearby podium.
Fast forward to 2022 and Nio is now regularly billed as China’s answer to Tesla for its focus on the digital experience, innovative charging (this time battery swaps) and the often mind-bending performance from its otherwise practical range of SUVs and saloons.
