By Richard Cree
This story originally appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Elite Traveler.
Anyone wondering how either the arrival of the all-electric Formula-E racing championship would affect the future of the car industry, or what impact an increasingly active Chinese automotive sector will have, gets two answers in one with the new all-electric Chinese supercar, the Nio EP9.
Launched in London late last year, the Nio EP9 is a stunning addition to the super sports car market. And it comes from NextEV, the Chinese firm that has been a successful part of the Formula-E setup since it launched in 2014.
The firm’s Chinese name, Weilai, translates as Blue Sky Coming, and the Nio EP9 boasts the look and feel of a car of the future. But with six cars already produced, this has moved beyond a prototype but is not yet up to full production.
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The performance figures are impressive (but some vital EV numbers are missing, such as range or battery charge time) with its Nürburgring lap time of a fraction over seven minutes and five seconds, the fastest ever for an electric car.
It boasts a top speed of 195mph and goes from a standstill to over 120mph in seven seconds. The company claims the aerodynamics are so sophisticated it has twice the downforce of a F1 car, with drivers experiencing over 3Gs while driving. Expect your grin to look a little lopsided should you take a selfie while driving.
nio.io/ep9, $2m
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