Nio’s first ‘affordable’ Onvo L60 rolls off the production line

In China, the first L60 production models of NIO’s Onvo sub-brand have rolled off the assembly lines at NIO’s F2 plant in NeoPark, Hefei. The Onvo L60 will be a mid-sized all-electric SUV in an ‘affordable’ model line, positioned as an alternative to the premium NIO brand, also targeted at Europe.

Prices start at 219,900 yuan, some 27,700 euros, with deliveries beginning at the end of September. It is directly targeted to compete in China with Toyota’s RAV4, the XPeng G6, and the Tesla Model Y, being 30,000 yuan (€3,820) cheaper than the latter.

Stylish and minimalistic

Like all NIO models, Onvo’s interior design is stylish but minimalistic. It has as few physical buttons as possible, and all functions are bundled in the sizeable 17.2-inch touchscreen on the middle console, mimicking its major rival’s austerely interior. There is a 13-inch HUD in front of the driver and only a tiny ‘dash’ display behind the wheel indicating the speed.

Like its premium siblings, the Onvo will come with many driver assistance systems and Navigation on Autopilot (NOA). It has a 4D imaging radar, seven 8-megapixel cameras, four surround-view cameras, and 12 ultrasonic radars.

With pictures of the first cars leaving the factory, NIO also revealed interior details, called an ‘Urban Oasis AI Smart Cockpit.’ It includes an extra 8-inch display centrally in the back for the passengers to use the entertainment system. Another feature is that the front seat back can be fully reclined.

The L60’s interior gets 16 million-color ambient lighting with 16 preset themes, a 1,000-watt sound system developed by Onvo called ‘Onvo Sound,’ and a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos surround sound system.

The Onvo L60 was announced to come in three battery flavors. The base variant gets a 60.4 kWh battery pack and a single 240 kW (321 hp) motor, offering a CLTC range of 525 to 555 km. The 4WD variant adds a 100 kW e-motor in the front, totaling 340 kW (455 hp), offering a CLTC range of 501 to 525 km with the same battery.

Later, 90 kWh and even 150 kWh battery packs could be offered for ranges up to 730 km and over 1,000 km. Like all NIOs, the Onvo’s battery is swappable and compatible with NIO’s 3.0 and 4.0 Power Swap Stations.

One million car milestone

NIO’s founder and CEO William Li expects much of the lower-priced sub-brand Onvo, launched on May 15th, to reach the one million milestone of cars built. Onvo stands for ‘On voyage,’ but its Chinese name, Ledao, literally means ‘Path to Happiness’. That name was carefully chosen with families in mind.

“What are the most important things for a family?” William Li said before. “The first is to be happy and joyful. The second is to care about the price and the cost of use. These two points add up to having a happy family and managing the family well. Every road a family takes together is a happy road, and that’s what its name means.”