Consumers are becoming increasingly familiar with new vehicle brands due to the steady influx of cars from China and elsewhere, keen to enter the European market. One car that is already making news is NIO’s EL6 mid-size SUV. This vehicle is an innovative and premium addition to the electric car stable, with NIO offering battery-swapping technology to decrease range anxiety among consumers. NIO already has a wide range of models accessible in Scandinavia and Germany. NIO’s ES8, ET7, ET5, and EL7 all achieved Euro NCAP’s coveted 5-star rating. NIO EL6 is no different from its siblings, achieving an overall rating of five stars.
A safer vehicle is not only one that considers the protection of those in the car but also those outside of it. Vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians and cyclists are of increasing focus for carmakers in the quest to decrease the number of fatal and harmful accidents on Europe’s roads.
The EL6, like other NIOs, uses a camera, radar, and lidar to sense those around it, to avoid or mitigate accidents. This is cutting-edge, yet pricey, technology that is now employed in only a few vehicles. The EL6’s automated emergency braking (AEB) system performs effectively with respect to collisions against passenger vehicles and is good at protecting against vulnerable road users, but not in oncoming and overtaking motorcyclist scenarios.
Now on sale in Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden, NIO’s EL6 delivered a very strong performance in adult occupancy, scoring 93 per cent. The electric SUV achieved 85 per cent in child occupant safety, 78 per cent in vulnerable road user safety and 76 per cent in safety assist tests.
Key to the impressive result was EL6’s substantial list of standard safety features and its ultra-high-strength steel-aluminium hybrid body. The latter contributed to the EL6 achieving excellent results in frontal collision protection. NIO’s pioneering use of ultra-long-range roof mounted LiDAR sensors was another factor in EL6’s strong result in the more challenging tests.
With Euro NCAP’s tests now assessing over a hundred active safety scenarios, EL6’s technologies not only protect its occupants but also vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The latest tests also highlighted that EL6’s doors could be opened within two minutes of power being lost, and its electric windows would remain functional long enough to allow occupants to escape in the event of being submerged.
Since its inception, NIO has prioritised the development of both active and passive safety systems to protect its users and the wider community. With its Euro NCAP five-star rating, EL6 offers reassuring levels of safety for families seeking a safe and smart mid-size SUV.
