Nio management previously hinted that the Nio ET5 shooting brake could begin deliveries in China in July.

The Nio ET5 shooting brake has appeared in a regulatory directory in China, with the model just months away from its official launch.

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today announced the latest batch of models that will be allowed to be sold in China, and Nio's new ET5 is included.

The public can submit their feedback on the list between March 9 and March 15. Entry into the list is the last major regulatory process before a model is allowed to be sold in China.

The page for the new ET5 shows what the shooting brake variant of the sedan looks like, with the overall style continuing from the ET5 sedan.

The length, width and height of the Nio ET5 shooting brake are 4,790 mm, 1,960 mm and 1,499 mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2,888 mm, which is the same as the ET5 sedan.

The Zeekr 001, currently the best-known shooting brake model in China, has a length, width and height of 4,970 mm, 1,999 mm and 1,548 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,005 mm.

The Nio ET5 shooting brake is equipped with dual motors produced by Nio's electric drive systems division in Hefei, Anhui province, with a maximum power of 150 kW and 210 kW, respectively, and can support a top speed of 200 km/h.

Like several other Nio models based on the NT 2.0 platform, the Nio ET5 shooting brake supports the option of a retractable electric towing hitch, which can tow up to 1,400 kg of caravan weight.

Battery suppliers for the model include CALB in addition to CATL, as do the new EC6, EC7, new ES8 and new ES6.

Nio's original plan was to begin deliveries of five models in the first half of the year, including the EC7 coupe SUV and the new ES8, which were already launched at Nio Day at the end of last year and were set to begin deliveries in May and June, respectively.

William Li, Nio founder, chairman and CEO, said during an analyst call earlier this month after announcing its fourth-quarter earnings that the company's original plan was to begin deliveries of five new models in the second quarter, but later recognized the need to give each vehicle slightly more time to ensure quality at launch.

"In the second quarter of this year, we will start deliveries of four new models, including the ES6, which is our most important model, as per our latest plan so far," Li said.

Nio will also begin deliveries of the fifth new model of the year in July, which may this a little later than originally planned, he said.

Other than the new ES6, Li did not mention specific models.

What can be expected is that in addition to the EC7, the new ES8 and the new ES6, deliveries of the new EC6 will also begin in the second quarter, and the ET5 shooting brake will probably be the model that the company will start delivering in July.

Nio's new ES8 entered China's regulatory catalog in December last year, EC7 and the new ES6 and both in January this year, EC6 was in February.

The Nio ET5 shooting brake will be launched in Europe in a few months, according to previous comments from the company's management.

Nio will launch a shooting brake version of the ET5, a sister model of the ET5, in June or July of this year, said Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of the electric vehicle maker, at an event in January.

The shooting brake variant of the ET5, which is developed for European consumers, will debut in Europe, Qin said at the time.

Shooting brake models have a large market in Europe, while sales of the sedan are low, which is the opposite of the situation in China, he said.

"Derivatives of sedans are a niche market in China, but the opposite is true in Europe. We don't see many real sedans in Europe," he said.

In the Chinese market, shooting brake models are a niche market.

However, the success of the Zeekr 001, the first model of Geely's Zeekr brand, has made such models increasingly popular.

For the full year 2022, Zeekr delivered 71,941 Zeekr 001s, reaching its goal of delivering 70,000 vehicles for the year.

Full text: NIO Q4 earnings call transcript