After driving fuel-powered cars for 20 years, the moment I started driving an electric vehicle, I immediately understood why EVs are outselling traditional fuel vehicles, why Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have to lower their prices, and why NIO electric vehicles retain their value better than those luxury brands.
I come from a rural area in the Yimeng Mountains of Shandong. After 20 years of hard work, I changed my destiny through education, moving from the mountain village to the big city of Shenyang, where I settled down, got married, and had a daughter. The hardships I endured can be imagined, especially because, having rarely ridden in vehicles in the village, the smell of gasoline made me so nauseous that I would throw up bile every time I rode in a car. Every year during the Lunar New Year, when I took the cheap green train from Shenyang back to the Yimeng Mountains, it was always packed with people. Even the bathrooms were full, leaving no place to stand. I had to stand for more than ten hours, sometimes all the way from Shenyang to Cangzhou. To avoid motion sickness, I didn’t dare drink a drop of water or eat a bite of food when I had to travel.
But for the sake of life, I had to face this situation. Frequent travel made me gradually get used to it, and I stopped feeling nauseous. Seeing people around me start to learn to drive, and with a driver’s license becoming a necessary work credential, I, who once didn’t dare even touch a car, joined the ranks of those learning to drive. With strong learning ability, I passed the exam in one go and quickly got my license, which I’ve now had for 20 years. On the first day I got my license, a friend threw me his old van to practice with. Unafraid due to ignorance, I drove that old van straight into the bustling Beihang area of Shenyang. The frequent switching between the accelerator and gears, which I wasn’t yet proficient at, caused the car to stall frequently when starting, but I wasn’t nervous at all, even with the honking cars behind me, and I operated methodically.
Driving is a skill that comes with practice, and the more you drive, the better you get. So, I bought a second-hand van, then later switched to a second-hand Buick. As the wheels turned, life got better and better. Because my work income was good, I bought a Mercedes-Benz sedan ten years ago. But no one expected that while others’ salaries were steadily increasing, ours experienced a steep decline, especially after the pandemic. I had to reconsider my income and expenses. Although the Mercedes-Benz was great, the maintenance and fuel costs added up to a significant amount each year.
Three years ago, my younger brother bought a NIO electric vehicle. Like many others, I was worried about the safety of EV batteries and their range, thinking it would affect travel. My brother reassured me that the batteries in Chinese-made EVs are very safe and that there’s no need to worry, especially with the BaaS (Battery as a Service) model, which separates the car and battery purchase. This not only lowers the purchase threshold but also eliminates concerns about battery life and degradation, as every battery comes with a lifetime warranty, and each time you swap a battery, it undergoes a health check. The batteries are interchangeable and rechargeable. You can use a smaller battery for daily driving and swap for a larger one when traveling. With the 5 kWh, 100 kWh, and 150 kWh battery options, the range can reach up to 1.000 kilometers, enough to drive from Shenyang to Jinan.
Additionally, NIO has built the most battery swap stations and charging piles in the country: as of August 4. NIO had completed 2.464 battery swap stations (including 825 highway swap stations). NIO’s “Electric Zone Housing” coverage rate in urban areas across the country has reached 80%, meaning that over 80% of users have at least one NIO battery swap station within a 3-kilometer radius of their home or workplace. My brother explained that battery swapping is more convenient than refueling—each swap station is like a gas station for EVs. Whereas charging used to take an hour, now battery swapping only takes three minutes, allowing you to leave with a full charge without even getting out of the car. It’s more elegant and comfortable than refueling or charging, and the battery is swapped without you even noticing. Moreover, every swap includes a safety inspection of the battery to ensure reliability.
My brother mentioned that the most significant factor is the cost—only about 200 yuan per month for electricity. I found it hard to believe, as no matter how conservatively I drove my fuel-powered car, it would cost over 1.000 yuan per month. Even though electric vehicles are cheaper to operate, how could it be just 200 yuan a month? My brother didn’t explain further; he just filled up the car and let me test drive it for a month.
After a month of test driving, I decisively replaced my Mercedes-Benz with the NIO ES6. Many friends didn’t understand, asking why I would replace such a good car. NIO cars come equipped with China’s first full-vehicle operating system: SkyOS·Tianshu, the first self-developed 5nm automotive-grade intelligent driving chip: NIO Adam NX9031. the new generation smart system: Banyan 3. and China’s first intelligent driving world model: NWM, achieving full-vehicle intelligence. This system deeply integrates the latest AI algorithms with intelligent hardware, native smart frameworks, and intelligent cabin applications, making the intelligent driving experience more human-like and highly engaging.
My switch from a Mercedes-Benz to a NIO wasn’t just about the smart features and convenient energy replenishment. Driving an electric vehicle is the trend of the future. In July of this year, sales of electric vehicles surpassed fuel-powered vehicles for the first time, with EV penetration reaching 61%, marking a turning point between EVs and traditional cars. Many Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi owners around me have also switched to NIO and other electric vehicles, proving that great minds think alike.
Reports show that in the first half of this year, celebrities from all walks of life started purchasing domestic new energy brands. Among consumers who bought NIO’s second-generation models, more than 56% were former Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Audi owners. In the first half of 2024. the combined sales of pure electric models from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi were less than NIO’s. In July 2024. NIO delivered 20.498 new cars, marking the third consecutive month of over 20.000 deliveries. From January to July this year, NIO delivered 107.924 new cars, a year-on-year growth of 43.85%. To date, NIO has delivered a total of 557.518 new cars.
The key to the resale value of used electric cars lies in the battery. While other electric cars see their value suppressed due to battery concerns, NIO is an exception. NIO’s BaaS model, which separates the car and battery, brings transparency to the biggest “black box” of used electric cars—the battery—making used car purchases more transparent and reassuring. There’s no need to inquire about the battery condition when buying a NIO, and there’s no need to worry about it when reselling. The BaaS model provides a lifetime battery warranty, so users don’t have to worry about battery degradation. NIO has even introduced a 15-year long-life power battery solution, aiming to maintain 85% health after 15 years, eliminating range anxiety. Additionally, the intelligent system can be upgraded for at least ten years, making NIO the brand with the highest resale value in the smart electric vehicle era.
According to a report jointly released by the China Automobile Dealers Association and Jingzhengu, in the first half of 2024. the one-year resale value of the NIO ES6 with a 75 kWh standard range battery reached 74.5%, surpassing the Tesla Model Y, ranking first in the pure electric mid-size SUV category. In the 350.000-500.000 yuan hot-selling mid-size SUV ranking, it surpassed the Audi Q5L and BMW X3. The NIO ET5 with a 75 kWh standard range battery achieved a one-year resale value of 74%, surpassing the Tesla Model 3 and becoming the champion in the pure electric mid-size sedan category. In the 300.000-400.000 yuan luxury mid-size car ranking, it surpassed the Audi A4L and Lincoln Z.
Comparisons reveal the difference: the resale value of fuel-powered cars is clearly declining in the second-hand market. Whether it’s Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, or any other fuel car, they all see a significant drop in value, with a delay of just one month potentially costing nearly 10.000 yuan. The NIO ES6 (with the BaaS model) has a resale value of 74.5%, surpassing the BMW X3 and Audi Q5L. The NIO ET5 (with the BaaS model) has a resale value of 74%, surpassing the Audi A4.
All these reasons combined are why I decisively switched to a NIO electric car. Switching to an EV earlier could save you tens of thousands in costs! Have you made up your mind?
