Taking advantage of electric vehicles, test drive NIO ES8 between Beijing and Tianjin

As a loyal fan of fuel vehicles and self-driving travel, I once dreamed of traveling to the end of the world alone with one car.

Later I discovered that the cost and comfort of renting a car by plane were much higher than driving thousands of kilometers by yourself. Looking around Beijing, the density of fast charging stations on highways and cities is even comparable to that of gas stations. As the battery life of electric vehicles becomes longer and longer, our driving habits have also quietly changed.

Weilai is such a brand. After many people own it, they will always be stuck in the "Haidilao" style service and cannot extricate themselves. Of course, any car and any driving mode have advantages and disadvantages. It is better to make up for the shortcomings than to make full use of the strengths. On this trip, I drove a brand new 2020 Weilai ES8 between Beijing and Tianjin. For electric vehicles, I appropriately changed my thinking and found that I still have a good travel experience.

Of course, it still takes a long time to charge an electric vehicle, so how to use it rationally is the key. For example, at the charging station in my community, slow charging is better for the battery, and the vehicle can be "resurrected with full health" when you wake up. This "low-end" version of NIO's ES8 has a battery life of 415km, which is basically enough for a week's commuting. In this test drive, I drove the ES8 from Beijing to Tianjin and back, which is no challenge to most electric vehicles today. There are very dense charging stations in the highway service areas and urban areas of Tianjin along the way. In the time it takes to eat a meal, the battery can be increased by 60-80%.

First of all, let me briefly introduce the new Weilai ES8

In terms of appearance, the Weilai ES8 has undergone a mid-term facelift in 2020. For the family-style X-Bar design language It has been streamlined, with a new chrome-plated decorative surround added to the body, and the front and rear turn lights have been upgraded with a flowing effect. The length, width and height are 5022/1962/1756mm, and the wheelbase is 3010mm. In terms of size positioning, it is also similar to medium and large SUVs such as Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90.

The rear of the car is basically unchanged, except that the orange line under the ES8 tail logo symbolizes the identity of its signature model. The extended high-mounted brake light strip at the top and the wrap-around chrome strip at the rear are the only obvious changes.

The wheels of this model are a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminum alloy materials, and the optional price is 26,500 yuan. It is said that a single piece of carbon fiber for a wheel hub costs thousands, so be careful not to scratch the curb when parking. The tire is Continental MaxContact MC6 with size 265/45 R21. It is a high-performance self-repairing tire that combines comfort and control.

As for the interior of ES8, it looks a bit like a boss’s desk. The through-type air conditioning outlet, 9.8-inch instrument and 11.3-inch large screen are more like two Pads on the table. The materials, materials and workmanship of the interior have completely reached the level of a luxury car.

The interior color of our test drive model is the newly added "Speed ​​Grey", and the interior atmosphere is more fashionable and simple. The Nappa leather and microfiber velvet ceiling used in this signature version also make the interior of the car more comfortable. The sense of luxury rises sharply.

Weilai ES8 also has the queen's co-pilot as standard equipment. The electrically retractable leg rests and foot pedals make it more like being in the business class of an airplane, except that it will not take off and does not need to Put away.

The model we tested has a 7-seat design, and 6 seats are also available. There is a lot of legroom in the second row, and the third row also has enough usability. The overall performance is indeed worthy of the positioning of a mid-to-large SUV.

The new Weilai ES8 currently has two battery life configurations of 415km and 580km available. If charging conditions are convenient at home, a battery life of 415km is enough. Although it is theoretically possible to travel between Beijing and Tianjin, you still need to turn on the air conditioner along the way. We can also find many fast charging outlets in high-speed service areas and in Tianjin. After fully charging the battery overnight, we started our trip to Tianjin.

Driving on the highway, you can feel that as a medium and large SUV, the ES8 has excellent driving stability.

I still remember the ES6 I tested before. It raised its head sharply when accelerating, and it felt like an airplane taking off. But the new Weilai ES8 appears to be smooth and stable. Even though it can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers in 4.9 seconds, it will not give you too obvious dizziness or pushing back, and it is obviously more considerate in terms of comfort.

The quality of the chassis and steering of the Weilai ES8 is a bit like the Volkswagen Touareg. The steering is thicker and precise, but not as extremely responsive as the sport-tuned version. The battery pack allows the vehicle to have a very low center of gravity and excellent high-speed stability. Although the steering roll is not large, the steering wheel will become significantly heavier when you turn a large amount, so it is not very sensitive when cornering, and it does not want to make too many drastic movements while you are driving.

As for the power consumption of the entire vehicle, the remaining range data when cruising at speeds below 80km/h is more accurate. However, our driving style was a little intense along the way. Due to the obstruction of slow-moving vehicles, there were some frequent driving and braking. We turned on the air conditioner throughout the journey and took a detour to pick up a friend. When we arrived in Tianjin, half of the 415km of range was left, and the difference from the actual mileage was less than 50km. This data is already satisfactory.

Tianjin is a city I often come to, and the old buildings here always arouse my strong interest. In the Fifth Avenue area, this Gothic Anglican Church is unique. It was built in 1903 and took ten years to complete. It experienced a fire in 1935 and was rebuilt the following year. Since all the pastors of the church are British, it is also known as the "British Church in Tianjin".

In front of the Century Bell Roundabout at Tianjin Station, the "Wanguo Bridge" built in 1927 has become a must-visit check-in point for tourists. It is very similar to the Waibaidu Bridge in Shanghai where Yiping jumped off in "Love in the Rain". It has also witnessed a lot of modern Chinese history.

According to legend, it was designed by the designer of the Eiffel Tower, and its lower part can be opened and closed to allow large ships to pass. This bridge once blocked the Japanese invasion and welcomed the People's Liberation Army's recapture of North China. Now, under the name "Liberation Bridge", it has witnessed the rapid changes in the city of Tianjin.

The south bank of Jiefang Bridge is called Jiefang North Road, which was once the "Oriental Wall Street". In the late Qing Dynasty, this geomantic treasure was valued by financiers from various countries. As a result, various styles of buildings have risen from the ground, such as the Sino-French Industrial and Commercial Bank in front of you. The Roman columns on the street corner have turned into an arc, which also perfectly interprets the romance of French design.

This Tianjin Postal Museum is the former site of the Qing Post Office. Historically, it was the headquarters of Qing Customs and Post Office, formerly known as "Tianjin Customs and Sida Bureau". As the birthplace of China’s modern postal service, the cultural relics in the museum record Tianjin’s many firsts in postal history: China’s first postal agency, the first postal regulations, the first postal route, the first postal tariff schedule, the first A set of stamps, etc., were all born here.

The Wanghailou Church on the bank of the Haihe River records the Tianjin Mission Plan and the Boxer Rebellion. There are too many unforgettable historical events written on the mottled walls. It has been burned down and rebuilt twice, and also experienced the Tangshan earthquake. Now it stands here, telling the story of the past and vicissitudes of life.

After a whole day of stop-and-go in Tianjin, when we were about to return, we still had 150 kilometers of battery left. We planned to recharge at the highway service area, but when we decided to fill our stomachs first, we discovered that there was a fast charging station in the parking lot of the Pan Pacific Hotel opposite.

So, we had a delicious meal here. In 40 minutes, the vehicle's range increased to 373 kilometers, which was close to full charge. It seemed more practical to return to Beijing. After taking pictures of the night view of Tianjin, we set off on the return journey and our one-day trip to Tianjin was successfully completed.

Judging from this test drive, the stability, quietness, and excellent acceleration capabilities of the new NIO ES8 at high speeds gave me a great impression. The large-area leather interior and exquisite workmanship are worthy of its luxurious positioning. Of course, Weilai provides battery swap stations, as well as "one-click power-up", valet charging and other services, which are completely unnecessary for such an intercity use demand where the distance is not too far.

And our attention is not focused on how much battery life it has left, but on a new experience different from that of a fuel vehicle.

In recent years, I have test driven many electric vehicles, and sometimes I feel that fuel vehicles are no longer “scented”. Indeed, due to professional reasons, I rely on flying for hiking, and my car has not been used for long-distance driving of more than 300 kilometers in three years. An electric car can fully meet my personal needs.

Going back to 10 years ago, it would usually cost more than one million to accelerate from 100 kilometers to 100 kilometers within 5 seconds, but now it can be easily achieved on many electric vehicles. At this stage, it is a bit reluctant for electric vehicles to take you thousands of miles a day, but it is more realistic not to demand perfection, but to play to their strengths and coexist with fuel vehicles for a long time.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.