China’s 1,341 horsepower Nio EP9 electric supercar is already setting records

By Stephen Edelstein Published May 11, 2019

Chinese startup NextEV is one of many companies vying to become the next Tesla Motors. But other than backing a team in the Formula E electric-car race series, it has kept a relatively low profile. Until now, that is.

At a launch event in the U.K., NextEV unveiled its Nio car brand and its first product, an electric supercar called the EP9. While many other automotive startups plan to emphasize autonomous driving and connectivity, NextEV says Nio will help consumers rediscover the “joyful lifestyle” of car ownership by building “inspiring vehicles that deliver superior performance.” Its mission may change in the future, though.

Recommended Videos

NextEV claims that on October 12, the Nio EP9 achieved a lap record for electric cars at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe, the famous German racetrack that’s become a benchmark for new production cars. The EP9 lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes, 5.12 seconds, NextEV claims. On November 4, the EP9 also achieved an electric-car lap record for France’s Circuit Paul Ricard, with a time of 1 minute, 52.7 seconds, according to NextEV.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The EP9 is powered by four electric motors, producing a combined 1,341 horsepower. NextEV did not quote a 0 to 60 mph time, but it did say the EP9 will do 0 to 200 kph (0 to 124 mph) in 7.1 seconds, and reach a top speed of 194 mph. The car is equipped with an “interchangeable battery system” that allows for charging in 45 minutes, and a range of 427 kilometers (265 miles), according to NextEV.

The company bills its creation as the “world’s fastest electric car,” but there’s at least one other supercar that could challenge that claim. The Rimac Concept One is an electric supercar from Croatia that’s been under development for the past few years. The base model boasts 1,088 hp, and a claimed top speed of 221 mph. However, since neither car has been thoroughly tested, it’s impossible to validate these claims.

While NextEV is launching with a supercar and trying to get consumers enthusiastic about car ownership, it may eventually go in a different direction. Founder William Li has said he plans to ultimately focus on connectivity and infotainment, seemingly following the model of U.S. startup Faraday Future and its Chinese patron, tech giant LeEco.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.