Nio's New Sedan is Gorgeous with AR Glasses

But can it take the company Global with marketing stunts and a shiny new coat of paint?

The EV maker and consolidation game is one of the hottest things to watch in how technology is going global in the early 2020s. China of course wants its home-grown companies to do well on the global market to expand China’s economy.

China has essentially too many firms specializing in the EV market. This if anything, shows you the kind of innovation centric culture China has created in recent years and in educating more of its middle class.

China’s EV Startups are Among the Best Globally

China has “too many” electric vehicle (EV) makers and the government will encourage consolidation, Industry and Information Technology Minister Xiao Yaqing said in early September. Fast forward to December, 2021 and we know a lot more about Nio’s plans.

• Chinese electric car start-up Nio’s second electric sedan, the ET5, is set to begin deliveries in September 2022, CEO William Li said Saturday at the company’s annual “Nio Day” event.

• Nio’s stock is taking a hit recently with a mini-correction in the EV sector since Elon Musk sold some of his Tesla shares to help pay an $11 Billion tax bill for 2021.

Nio pours money into marketing and creating a cultural iconic brand. For instance among the recent gimmicks include the announced custom augmented reality glasses for the car that are made by Nreal, a Chinese start-up backed by Nio’s investing arm. I find this hilarious and perhaps a good sign for Chinese innovation.

• Meanwhile the The ET5, priced from US$51,448 before subsidy, is expected to roll off the production line next September. Nio plans to enter Germany and three other countries in Europe for 2022.

Target countries include: After testing Norway, Nio is going after Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

The government’s promotion of greener vehicles to cut pollution has prompted electric car makers such as Nio, XPeng and BYD to expand manufacturing capacity in China. There are literally hundreds of EV related startups in China. Their consolidation will create major global smart car brands that will be Chinese. While it’s unlikely any of them will compete with Tesla, VW or Toyota any time soon, combined they will be formidable I believe.

Big Plans, Shiny AR Glasses and Nio Day

The ET5 is Nio’s second sedan to come to market. The company’s first sedan, the ET7, was revealed in January at a higher pre-subsidy starting price of 448,000 yuan, but hasn’t begun deliveries yet.

Deliveries of the ET7 are set to begin on March 28, 2022, William Li, Nio’s founder, chairman and CEO, said Saturday at the company’s annual “Nio Day” event.

While Xpeng and BYD have better execution, I have to admire how pretty Nio’s new Sedans are:

I really like to write on innovation and this means actually covering Chines firms. So much of the real innovation today is occurring in China. While Chinese diplomats have taken a wolf-ish turn in 2021, the Pandas know better diplomacy will be better for business. Nio understands how to be a Panda brand.

The Shanghai-based carmaker also said it aims to have a presence in 25 countries and regions by 2025. They are truly trying to be the Tesla of China.

So would you like your cool shades with that? The new sedan and custom augmented reality (AR) glasses that reduce the need for in-car screens. You don’t say? Augmented reality is a technology for imposing digital images over the real, physical world.

China Could Own a Significant Global Share of the Smart Car Market in 20 Years

For cars, the tech can let drivers keep their eyes on the road without having to glance down at a dashboard. China gadgets and app convenience of super-apps (+ mini-programs) make the West look archaic at times.

We used to make fun of their QR payment codes, now we are doing the same with our vaccine passports.

Nio said it partnered with Chinese augmented reality start-up Nreal for the AR glasses that go with its new sedan, the ET5. It’s unreal how seriously they take marketing. There’s about a dozen major EV brands out of China I’m watching. They are a bit less strong when it comes to the AV trend.

The electric car is set to begin deliveries in September 2022, with pre-subsidy prices starting at 328,000 yuan ($51,250) for models that come with a battery. The AR glasses are not included and must be bought separately, according to the company.

Can Nio set to break into the European EV market? Deliveries of the ET7 are set to begin on March 28, 2022.