NIO begins deliveries of its flagship coupe SUV set to compete with the Polestar 3
Emerging Chinese EV maker NIO announced Friday it has officially begun deliveries of its EC7 electric coupe SUV, deemed one of the most aerodynamic SUVs on the market. NIO’s new flagship coupe is poised to compete in an expanding premium electric SUV market along with the Polestar 3.
NIO unveiled its latest electric model, the EC7, during NIO Day 2022 this past December. With a drag coefficient as low as 0.23 Cd, NIO claims its flagship SUV features market-leading aerodynamics and efficiency.
In comparison, the Tesla Model X is considered one of the most aerodynamic SUVs in the world at 0.25 Cd. The Polestar 3, slated to begin deliveries later this year, has a drag coefficient of 0.29 Cd.
The NIO EC7 is a mid-large size coupe SUV equipped with NIO’s second-gen NT 2.0 tech platform, Smart Matrix LED headlights with LiDAR, and an active spoiler that can reduce drag by 4% in Eco mode.
On the inside, the EC7 includes a panoramic sunroof with smart electrochromic glass, sports seats with zero-gravity mode, enabling you to relax with your feet up, and a second-gen digital cockpit.
Powered by a dual-motor AWD system and SiC power module, NIO’s SUV delivers up to 480 kW (643 hp) and 626 lb-ft (850 Nm) torque enabling a 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds.
The EC7 has three battery options, 75 kWh, 100 kWh, or 150 kWh, delivering ranges up to 304 miles (490 km), 395 miles (636 km), and 584 miles (940 km), respectively. Keep in mind, however, that these are CLTC numbers; EPA standard figures are generally about 25% lower.
According to NIO, prices for the EC7 will range from 488,000 RMB ($70,599) to 578,000 RMB ($83,620), with European prices coming at a later date.
How does NIO’s flagship SUV compare to the Polestar 3
The newly released NIO EC7 will compete in China’s quickly expanding electric luxury SUV segment. Another emerging EV maker, Polestar, is set to release its first electric SUV, the Polestar 3, later this year as one of the most highly anticipated EV launches of the year.
Polestar unveiled its “SUV for the electric age” in October as part of the EV maker’s new wave of models after finding success with the Polestar 2.
On the inside, the Polestar 3 also incorporates Scandinavian minimalism with a panoramic sunroof (with high-tech glass) and built-in Android Automotive OS.
The SUV is powered by two electric motors with computer-assisted power distribution to deliver up to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque while enabling 0 to 60 mph capabilities in 4.6 seconds.
With a 111 kWh battery, the Polestar 3 can achieve up to 300 miles of range, while the added performance pack will lower it to 270 miles. These are preliminary figures, but they are based on EPA standards.
The Polestar 3 features the automaker’s elegant Swedish minimalist exterior design, enhanced aerodynamics, and innovative safety features like the font grille’s “Smartzone,” which essentially acts as a third eye with radars, cameras, and other sensors.
Polestar unveiled its electric SUV in China last month with a starting price of 698,000 RMB (roughly 101,000) for the long-range model and 798,000 RMB ($115,000) for the high-performance SUV. According to Polestar’s website, the Polestar 3 will launch in the third quarter of 2023.
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Paris’ bike-share system, Vélib has long been considered one of the shining success stories of urban micromobility. With a massive fleet of over 20,000 pedal and electric-assist bicycles around Paris, the service has helped millions of residents and tourists get around the City of Light without needing a car or scooter. But lately, a growing problem is threatening to knock the wheels off this urban mobility marvel: theft and joyriding.
According to city officials and the service operator, more than 600 Vélib bikes are now going missing every single week. That’s over 30 bikes a day simply vanishing from the system – some stolen outright, others taken on “joy rides” and never returned.
“At the moment we’re missing 3,000 bikes,” explained Sylvain Raifaud, head of the Agemob company that currently operates the Velib system. That’s nearly 15% of over 20,000 Vélib bikes across Paris.
The sticky-fingered culprits aren’t necessarily professional thieves or organized crime rings. Instead, they’re often regular users who treat the shared bikes like disposable toys.
The city estimates that many people have figured out how to pry the bikes out of the system’s parking docks, unlocking one for a casual cruise and then ditching it somewhere far from a docking station.
Once pried free, the bikes are technically usable for the next 24 hours until their automatic locking feature kicks in. At that point, the bikes are often simply abandoned. Some end up in alleyways. Others get tossed in rivers. A few just disappear completely.
And since the bikes are intended to be parked at their many docking stations around the city, they don’t have GPS chips, further complicating recovery of “liberated” bikes.
The issue started small but has grown into more than an inconvenience – it’s beginning to undermine the entire purpose of the service. With bikes going missing at such a high rate, many Vélib docking stations are left empty, especially during rush hours.
Riders looking for a quick commute or a convenient hop across town are increasingly finding themselves without available bikes, or having to walk long distances to find a functioning one.
That kind of unreliability chips away at user confidence and threatens to drive potential riders back into cars, cabs, or other less sustainable forms of transport at a time when Paris has already made great strides to dramatically reduce car usage in the city.
The losses are financially painful, too. Replacing stolen or vandalized bikes isn’t cheap, and the resources spent on tracking down missing equipment or reinforcing anti-theft measures are stretching thin. Vélib has faced theft and vandalism issues before, especially during its early years, but this latest surge has officials sounding the alarm with renewed urgency.
Officials acknowledge that there’s no easy fix. Paris, like many cities with bike-share systems, walks a fine line between accessibility and accountability. Part of what makes Vélib so successful is its ease of use and widespread availability. But those same features make it vulnerable to misuse – especially when enforcement is limited and the consequences for abuse are minimal.
The timing of the problem is especially unfortunate. In recent years, Paris has seen impressive results in reducing car traffic, expanding bike lanes, and promoting cycling as a key part of its sustainable transport strategy. Vélib is a cornerstone of that plan. But if the system becomes too unreliable, it risks losing the very people it was designed to serve.
Meanwhile, as Parisians increasingly find themselves staring at empty docks, the challenge for the city and Vélib will be to restore confidence in the system without making it harder to use. That means striking the right balance between freedom and responsibility, between open access and protection against abuse.
In a city where cycling is supposed to be the future of mobility, losing thousands of bikes to joyriders and sticky fingers isn’t just frustrating; it’s unsustainable.
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