NIO presents Onvo L90 flagship ‘for middle-income families’

In Shanghai, Chinese EV carmaker NIO has presented the flagship of its affordable sub-brand Onvo, the L90 large SUV. It’s pretty big, compared to its smaller sibling, the L60, with a length of 5,145 mm, a width of 1,998 mm, a height of 1,786 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,110 mm. Space and low price are its primary weapons.

Onvo is designed to appeal to middle-income families seeking practical, safe, and comfortable EVs. Unlike NIO’s main brand, which caters to the premium market, Onvo focuses on delivering value and functionality for everyday family use.

Opposite of NIO luxury brand

Prices and specs have not been released yet, but the L60 is offered in China at an incredibly low price of 149,900 yuan, or some 19,050 euros. To compare: NIO’s latest premium flagship model, the ET9, starts at 818,000 yuan (€99,000), and the first 999 were sold out within hours of its launch.

NIO’s founder and CEO, William Li, handed over at the Shanghai Motor Show the keys of a few of its ET9s to fellow-millionairs and company owners like Robin Zeng, founder, chairman and CEO of CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker or He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng.  And Holger Klein, CEO of German auto tech giant ZF Group, is the first to own one outside China.

William Li expects much of the lower-priced sub-brand Onvo, launched on May 15th, 2024, 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.

The emphasis in this newest Onvo, the L90 SUV, is clearly on space. One of its most eye-catching features is a large front trunk, which can be opened by tapping the hood twice and offers 240 liters of storage space.

That so-called ‘frunk’ can hold two extra suitcases, while the three-row SUV can carry seven standard 20-inch suitcases in the trunk while seating six people.

900-volt platform

The Onvo L90 also uses NIO’s latest NT 3.0 technology, a platform upgraded from 400 to 900 volts, which results in better energy efficiency, faster charging, and outstanding cost savings. According to Deutsche Bank analysts cited by Chinese media, this explains the low prices but still ensures a 15 percent vehicle gross margin for the Onvo brand.

An official launch date, with prices and specs to be released, will probably be sometime in Q3 2025.