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Audi filed a lawsuit in Munich against Chinese EV maker Nio for alleged trademark infringement. Four Rings claims that the nameplate of the Nio ES6 and ES8 is too similar to the S6 and S8.
The ES6 and ES8 are electric crossovers, while the S6 and S8 are performance versions of the A6 and A8 sedans. Sporty Audi names have a history dating back to the 1990s.
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Nio launched ES8 in Norway last year. Currently, the country is the only part of Europe where the Chinese automaker operates. On his website, Nio is noted his plans to expand into Germany, which is supposed to happen in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Nio intends the ET7 electric sedan to be the first product to be sold in Germany. According to German Handelsblatt newspaper, the automaker is also showing the ES6 and ES8 at auto trade shows. Since the lawsuit, Nio has removed the model designation when displaying the vehicle.
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Unlike most EVs on the market, Nio products support batteries that can be replaced quickly, in addition to the owner being able to install them. Company has an agreement with Shell to establish a battery replacement site in Europe. Replacement only takes about three minutes, according to the company.
In addition to expanding into Germany, Nio is looking to launch in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, according to Handelsblatt.
Audi is currently working on the A6 E-Tron which will compete with the Nio ET7 in Germany. The production version was supposed to debut this year. The vehicle uses the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform. In concept form, the sedan has a pair of electric motors that produce a total of 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters).
The A6 E-Tron concept has a 100 kilowatt-hour battery pack that gives an estimated range of over 435 miles (700 kilometers) in the WLTP test. It can charge quickly at 270 kilowatts, providing a driving range of 186 miles (300 kilometers) in just 10 minutes.
The Wagon A6 E-Tron Avant joins the lineup in 2024. It will be mechanically identical to the sedan, only with more cargo space.
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