NIO’s ET7 electric car has over 1,000 km CLTC range with its new 150 kWh battery. To put its new ultra-long-range battery to the test, NIO’s CEO William Li drove the ET7 for over 14 hours, covering 1,044 km (~650 miles) with some charge left to spare.
NIO continues expanding the brand with new models and tech. The EV maker recently handed over the keys to the EL6 driver in Europe as it extends into new markets.
The company focuses on innovation and advanced tech to set itself apart from the competition. For example, NIO is a pioneer in EV battery swapping. NIO is expanding the tech as other automakers join in.
Geely, the parent company behind Volvo, Polestar, and others, was the most recent to reveal a partnership to help develop the network.
Meanwhile, NIO’s latest accomplishment may be its most impressive so far. The EV maker revealed the ET7 electric sedan powered by its new 150 kWh battery achieved 1,044 km (650 miles) CLTC range on a single charge. And it still had 3% battery capacity remaining.
NIO ET7 achieves 650 miles range (Source: William Li Weibo)
NIO ET7 achieves over 650 miles CLTC range
NIO’s founder and CEO Li tested the new 150 kWh battery traveling from Zhejiang Province to Fujian Province.
The 14-hour trip was live-streamed, starting early Sunday morning. During the trip, Li said the new battery had already been tested and achieved a record for a mass-produced EV covering 1,145 km (711 mi) CLTC range.
NIO’s Li drove for 12.4 hrs (14 with stops), covering 1,044 km (650 mi). The EV was in intelligent driving mode for 92% of the time, or 957 km (595 miles). With 3% remaining, the ET7 could have traveled another 36 miles.
NIO ET7 (Source: NIO)
NIO says its new 150 kWh battery has the largest capacity of passenger EVs built in China. According to NIO, the single cell has an energy density of 360 kWh/kg with 6X stronger cooling than ordinary batteries.
The company currently offers EVs with 75 kWh and 100 kWh battery packs. Its new 150 kWh battery can be swapped into any model. It’s the same size as other battery packs and weighs only 20 kg (44 lbs) more.
Although the new battery is impressive, it will be costly. NIO’s president Qin LiHong said it would cost about the same as an ET5. The NIO ET5 (75 kWh) battery starts at 298,000 yuan ($42,100). According to NIO, mass production will begin in April.
NIO will unveil its new flagship ET9 set to rival the Mercedes Maybach during NIO Day 2023, starting December 23. It’s expected to feature the new battery.
On today’s sunny side up episode of Quick Charge, we take a look at the latest from the world of solar power, and discuss Congressional Republicans’ plans to limit your energy independence by eliminating a critical tax credit for homeowners nearly ten years early. (!)
We’ve also got a quick review of a massive solar farm powering 200,000 homes in Indiana and the biggest solar project East of the Mississippi – both part of a record 98% of all new power generation and grid capacity introduced in 2025 coming from wind and solar. Those are jobs, those are lower utility rates, those are energy independence … so why are Congressional Republicans working to make that more expensive?
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If you want to read that EnergySage report on the state of the home solar industry, including news about battery energy storage system and V2H/V2G prices and financing trends, you can check it out for yourself, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Alphabet’s Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.
In March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo’s driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.
“We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!” the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. “While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future.”
The $5 billion Empire Wind is back in business. The Trump administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has lifted its stop-work order for Empire Wind, a major offshore wind project off the coast of New York led by Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor. Construction is now allowed to resume.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal welcomed the news, saying the restart reinforces Equinor’s commitment to delivering clean energy while supporting local economies and saving thousands of jobs. He also credited a wide coalition of officials for helping get the project back on track, including Trump, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and congressional leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Dan Goldman. Opedal also thanked the Norwegian prime minister and the minister of finance for raising the issue with the US administration.
Governor Hochul said in a statement that “countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials” had taken place.
Neither the BOEM nor the Department of the Interior has issued a comment.
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The Trump administration halted construction of the 54-turbine Empire Wind on April 16, but discussions between Equinor, regulators, and leaders at the federal, state, and city levels led to a reversal. That means Empire Wind can now push ahead with its goal of powering 500,000 New York homes with offshore wind energy.
“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the US and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. She added that Empire Wind is boosting supply chain investments across the country, with activity in New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Carolina.
Equinor plans to reassess the project’s financials in the second quarter. The goal is still to install turbines offshore in 2025 and hit full commercial operation by 2027. The company says it will work with suppliers and regulators to minimize any delays from the month-long pause.
Empire Wind was first awarded its offshore lease in 2017 after a competitive federal process. It received its final construction green light in early 2024 following an extensive environmental review. Construction kicked off shortly after, and the project is now over 30% complete.
The US is a major market for Equinor. The Norwegian energy giant says it has invested around $60 billion in US energy projects since the early 2000s, more recently in low-carbon solutions, critical minerals, and renewables. Empire Wind is one of its flagship projects in the US.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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