Automakers frequently imply that their vehicles outshine the competition, but Nio’s new sub-brand Alps is not just suggesting it, it’s shouting it from the back of its latest test vehicle. Spotted draped in camouflage, this pre-production version of the Alps DOM has a sticker on the back window proudly proclaiming it to be “better than a Model Y.”
The first vehicle to be sold under Nio’s affordable sub-brand, Alps, “DOM” is just the car’s code name, and this is the first time we’ve seen the all-electric crossover wearing such tight camouflage. Spied by a Weibo user, its aerodynamic shape suggests that the vehicle may not disrupt the electric crossover segment from a design perspective. In fact, from this angle at least, its silhouette bears a strong resemblance to the Tesla Model Y.
Nevertheless, Nio CEO William Li recently urged consumers considering a Model Y to wait for the production version of the DOM to hit the market, reports Car News China. In addition to claiming that it will charge faster and feature larger screens than the Tesla, he alleged that it will also be cheaper.
Read: Nio Already Testing Two Models Under Its New Alps Sub-Brand
It won’t be significantly less expensive than its American competitor, though. The base model of the DOM is expected to start at 250,000 yuan (around US$34,700 at current exchange rates), while Model Y pricing opens at 258,900 yuan (around US$36,000) in China.
The DOM will sit on Nio’s third-generation NT 3.0 platform, and will be offered with either a 60 kWh battery or a 90 kWh battery. Like the automaker’s other vehicles, it will support battery swapping to get drivers back on the road quickly.
The entry-level model of the crossover is expected to be powered by a single electric motor, but an all-wheel-drive model with multiple motors is also anticipated. More details will emerge soon, as production of the DOM is scheduled to start in July. It will be followed by a second model, which will be a sedan. Initially launching in China, Alps brand vehicles will later be available in Europe.
