Electricity is making the world of cars increasingly similar to that of technology. Take Nio, for example, which to present its new battery-powered flagship, the ET9 organized an event that was very reminiscent of Apple’s keynotes. On the stage of the Olympic stadium in Xi’an, there was only William Li, CEO of the brand, who presented all the technologies underlying the new electric car with a sweater (without a tie) that has little to do with the standing of the CEOs of many thermal born brands. A sign of changing times, of course, but also of a new approach towards the public, which was particularly numerous in China: in fact, over 10 thousand enthusiasts flocked to the presentation. Who witnessed the beginning of a new era, that of 900 volts.
Charge 255 km in five minutes. The Nio ET9 is based on a new proprietary architecture that goes beyond the 800 volts seen on some series models such as the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan sisters, as well as on cars from generalist manufacturers, such as the (equally sisters) Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. Increasing voltage is the future: many manufacturers, including Maserati, are working on 1.2 kV (1,200 volts) systems for multiple reasons, from reducing weight to increasing charging power. In the case of the Nio, the platform reaches 925 volts and can support peak charging up to 600 kW and 765A. Translated? 255 kilometers of range added in just five minutes. All this is always with the possibility of using the battery swap to restart with a full tank in three minutes. Take advantage of the new Power Swap Station 4.0 presented together with the flagship or the new 640 kW liquid-cooled columns. The brand aims to create 1,000 battery replacement stations and 20,000 charging stations in 2024 alone.
Over 700 horsepower. In its 5,325 mm length (2,016 widths, 1,620 height, and 3,250 wheelbases) the Nio ET9 contains the beauty of 525 patents and 17 world-first technologies. The Skyride chassis, for example, is defined by the company as the first intelligent “by-wire” chassis in the world: there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, but the electronics manage the steering of the two axles (with redundancy), as well as trim adjustments. The traction is all-wheel drive and includes a 340 kW (462 HP) permanent magnet motor at the rear and a 180 kW (245 HP) induction unit at the front, for a total power of 520 kW, 707 horsepower. Weight and performance have not been declared, however, unlike the price of 800 thousand yuan, equivalent to 102,300 euros: the car can already be pre-ordered in China, where deliveries will start in the first quarter of next year.
Four seats. The passenger compartment has four independent seats, all electrically adjustable, with the rear ones reclining up to 45 degrees which integrate 24 technologies patented by the manufacturer. There are also seven electric curtains and many solutions designed to improve comfort and safety at the disposal of passengers. In addition to assisted driving – which should exceed level 2 also thanks to the new 32-core NX9031 5 nanometer processor -, the Adam technological platform offers solutions such as SkyOS, an operating system that promises extremely intuitive management of the various functions of the car.
