The company, best known as one of the eight manufacturers involved in the Formula E electric racing series, has announced that earlier this autumn its NIO EP9 electric supercar achieved a new lap record of 7m 5.12s at Germany’s notorious 20.8km Nürburgring Nordschliefe test track.
More recently, on November 4th, it smashed the EV record at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, recording a time of 1m 52.78s, eclipsing the previous record of 2m 40s.
With four high-performance inboard motors and four individual gearboxes, the EP9 delivers 1MW of power, equivalent to 1,360PS. It accelerates from 0-200kph in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 313kph. With a claimed range a range of 427km, the car can be recharged in 45 minutes.
According to the firm, its carbon cockpit and chassis are key to an aerodynamic design which generates 24,000 Newtons of downforce at 240kph, endowing the car with remarkable 3G cornering ability. For reference, modern Formula One cars generate around 13,000 Newtons of downforce at a similar speed.
NextEV Founder and Chairman, William Li, said: “The NIO EP9 was born to push limits and is the first stage of automotive production for NIO. It is a statement of our vision and technical and manufacturing capabilities. …. We believe that when the car ownership experience exceeds expectations, electric vehicles will become the natural choice for everyone.”
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