- Onvo unveiled its first ever vehicle today, the L60, which is designed to take on Tesla.
- The Nio subbrand has been devised as a way for the Chinese automaker to sell more affordable electric vehicles.
- Pre-orders for the model started today in China, and the L60 will cost about $4,000 less than a Model Y.
Chinese EV manufacturer Nio has decided that it needs a value-oriented subbrand, and the first model introduced by it, the Onvo L60, may cause Tesla to fret. Unveiled today, the model will cost considerably less than the Model Y, and will be more energy efficient than the American EV, too.
Pre-orders for the L60 opened today, with deliveries starting in the third quarter of the year. Prices start at RMB 219,900 (approximately US$30,500 at current exchange rates). In contrast, the least expensive Model Y Tesla offers in China starts at RMB 249,900 (around US$34,600), meaning it costs a substantial 12% more than the L60.
Read: Nio’s New Mass Market Onvo EV Brand Takes Aim At Tesla
In addition to undercutting the American EV by RMB 30,000 (around US$4,100), Onvo also claims that the L60 will consume just 12.1 kWh of electricity per 100 km (62 miles), while the Tesla consumes 12.5 kWh over the same distance.
That efficiency is thanks in part to the L60’s remarkable drag coefficient of 0.229 (the Model Y’s coefficient is just slightly higher at 0.23). This means that the Extra Long Range variant of Onvo’s new crossover will be able to travel over 621 miles (1,000 km) per charge on the CLTC cycle.
Although the official figure has not been released, it seems likely that it will be outdone by the Tesla on that score. Tesla’s longest-range model is rated at 688 miles (1,107 km) on the CLTC cycle.
However, once the battery is depleted, drivers will be able to get back on the road in as little as three minutes, because Onvo’s vehicles share battery swapping technology with Nio. Even if a driver must recharge the battery instead of swapping it, that should happen quickly thanks to the L60’s 900V architecture.
In its standard range configuration, the L60 will be able to 345 miles (555 km) per charge, and the Long Range model will be able to 454 miles (730 km) on a single charge.
Onvo hasn’t yet shared official detail about the L60’s interior, but Chinese media have reported that it will have a large tablet-style infotainment screen, a heads up display for the driver, and will borrow its advanced driver assistance systems from Nio. It will also have “ingenious storage design,” that allows “every occupant can bring along their own luggage.”
Following its launch in China, Onvo plans to export the L60 to global markets in late 2024, and that will include Europe.
