Nio EP9 is another electric hypercars you may not be familiar with, but it is much more serious and trustworthy than you might think. After all, a slew of electric hypercars have been revealed, each with aggressive performance claims. With a 6m 45.9s Nürburgring lap in the hands of Scottish ace Peter Dumbreck, Nio has delivered in one of the most difficult environments possible. Some may question the relevance of such antics to real-world driving circumstances, but just getting a time on the board is a testimony to the Nio EP9 engineering, with figures like 1,378PS (1,360bhp) and 6,334Nm (4,687lb ft).
The Nio EP9 looks like a serious bit of equipment, with downforce claimed to be twice that of an F1 car, fancy pushrod style suspension, and the capacity to pull more than 2.5 lateral G in the corners.
The exterior design of Nio EP9
Unlike other race and supercar designs, the NIO EP9 took a completely new approach to its design. Their design team focused on the interior of the car first, then the appearance. This strategy allowed them to push the boundaries of emerging technology, propelling us even further.
According to Kris Tomasson, Vice President of Design, “It’s about seeing things from a fresh perspective and pushing oneself to think more deeply about what we’re doing. We were building something from the ground up for the future.”
The Nio EP9 has a very sleek and stylish exterior with functional vents and diffusers. The rear wing of the EP9 can be adjusted to three different settings: parked, low-drag, and high-downforce. At 240 km/h (150 mph), the EP9 produces 24,000 newtons (5,395 lbs or 2447 kg) of downforce, similar to a Formula One car, allowing it to corner at 3.0 Gs.
Interior Design of Nio EP9
The cabin is composed completely of carbon fiber, the same as the exterior and chassis. There are four screens in total: one on the driver’s side, one on the passenger’s side, one on the center console, and one on the steering wheel.
Both dashboard screens offer performance data, but they serve different purposes. Only four metrics are displayed on the passenger-side screen: the car’s top speed, lap time, and lateral G-forces, as well as the driver’s heart rate. Performance data, lap times, and a course map showing the car’s current position are displayed on the center console screen. The steering wheel is a reduced version of NIO’s Formula E racing wheel, and both are manufactured by the same company.
Performance and Specs of Nio EP9
According to Richard Hammond in The Grand Tour, the EP9 can go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.7 seconds, 200 km/h (124 mph) in 7.1 seconds, and 300 km/h (186 mph) in 15.9 seconds. The vehicle has a top speed of 313 km/h (194 mph).
Richard Hammond displayed the EP9’s ability to stop in a relatively small distance at the Top gear test circuit.
The car is capable of automated driving, as evidenced by its setting of the fastest autonomous driving record at the Circuit of the Americas. This was only conceivable since the vehicle was set up to drive itself.
The EP9’s battery can go for up to 427 kilometers (265 miles) before needing to be recharged. Recharging takes 45 minutes, and replacing the batteries takes 8 minutes because the batteries must be removed before they can be recharged.
The car has active suspension, which includes a ride height control that calculates 200 times per second. NextEV developed and manufactured the car’s brakes in-house. The car’s chassis is made entirely of carbon fiber and adheres to FIA Le Mans Prototype standards. The outside is composed of the same material as the interior.
The battery in Nio EP9
The EP9’s wheels each have their own motor and transmission. The car’s overall power output is 1 MW, with each motor producing 250 kW (335.25 hp) (1,341 hp; 1,360 PS). Both all-wheel drive and individual-wheel drive are available on the EP9. The vehicle is equipped with an innovative torque vectoring technology that can change the power delivered to each wheel.
The car has three power modes, each of which supplies electricity to the batteries for usage on the road or on the track.
- 12 volts on the road
- 750 volts on the track
- and 3G (1 kilowatt) for full track power
Pricing of Nio EP9
The NIO EP9 is one of the most expensive production EVs that is out on the market, it comes with a whopping $3.48 million dollar price tag. This is the base price for the entry-level model.
Conclusion
The Nio EP9 is definitely a piece of an engineering masterpiece, but even though it comes with a hefty price tag, it is definitely worth the price. It is the best electric track weapon you can buy for this price.
