Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio (NYSE: NIO) sent out invitations today, formally inviting media to Chengdu, Sichuan province in southwest China, on January 9 for the new Nio Day, the annual gala for Nio with its users.
The invitation, sent to cnEVpost, reads:
Dear Media Friends,
As this challenging year of 2020 is coming to an end, we will soon celebrate the annual gala for Nio with its users and friends.
Nio Day 2020 will be held on January 9, 2021 at Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Center.
Themed "Always Forward," the Nio Day this year is a reminder to us to forge ahead while staying true to the original aspiration.
With that, you are cordially invited to attend this gathering to share the joy and growth together.
We look forward to seeing you in Chengdu!
Nio says it will unveil its first sedan, a 150kWh battery pack, the next-generation autonomous driving technology platform called NT2.0, and a 2nd-generation swap station.
Previous media reports have said that Nio's fourth new car could be mass-produced in the fourth quarter of next year at the JAC Nio plant in central China's Anhui Province.
The sedan will be Nio's fourth model, which could feature a coupe design similar to the Audi A7.
It is expected to be built on the second-generation platform NT2.0 which is currently under development and will be equipped with LIDAR. The car will be still using a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive system, and will be compatible with the L4 driver assistance system.
Nio will also launch the 150kWh battery pack, which is compatible with all existing models.
On October 30, at Nio's top user club, EP Club, Nio founder William Li Bin said that Nio was working on a 150kWh battery pack that will give its cars a range of more than 900km.
This means that even compared to fuel-efficient Japanese hybrids, Nio will be able to get more mileage from one battery cell than these hybrids can get from one tank of gas.
If the 150kWh battery pack is put into use, it would effectively more than double an ES6's range of 430km.
As for the second-generation battery swap station, Nio said the number of batteries carried in the station will be increased and the swap time will be reduced significantly.
Its plan is to deploy a new station every day in 2021, the company said.
