Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brand Nio has revealed its new flagship, the ET9, and released some specifications of the high-tech luxury car.
Measuring 5325mm long, 2016mm wide and 1620mm tall on a lengthy 3250mm wheelbase, this executive car has a long, tall fastback silhouette – something rather 1940s in concept, but with a decidedly 2020s execution.
Nio calls it a ‘Landjet’ design, and promises “first-class” comfort inside.
There are just four seats in this huge vehicle, with individual rear seats separated by a full-length centre console called the ‘Executive Bridge’.
There’s a 360-degree ‘versatile tray table’, while the seats have a backrest that can be adjusted by up to 45 degrees.
There are seven electric sunshades to dim the cabin, and noise cancellation technology helps keep it hushed.
The ET9 features a 900V electrical architecture with peak charging power of 600kW, and can use Nio’s growing network of battery-swapping stations. Nio promises 255km of range with just five minutes of charging.
It features Nio’s SkyRide Intelligent Chassis System with steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering and full active suspension.
By integrating these three hardware systems, Nio claims the ET9 has “the world’s only driven-by-wire intelligent chassis”.
The tech focus is strong with the ET9, with Nio further claiming it has filed 525 patents and debuted 17 world-first technologies on the new model.
Its safety suite features a raft of sensors, including two wide-angle side LiDAR units, and Nio says it has followed ‘aviation-grade safety standards’ and allowed for safety redundancy in seven of its key systems including driving, braking and sensing.
Nio claims the ET9’s Navigate on Pilot Plus (NOP+) system can navigate the car on highways and city streets, automatically make lane changes and navigating interchanges.
Power comes from a 340kW permanent magnet motor at the rear and an 180kW induction motor at the front, for a total system output of 520kW.
On its own website, Nio calls the ET9 “adequately powerful” – shades of Rolls-Royce, which used to not quote 0-100km/h times and instead said its cars’ power was “sufficient”.
The Nio ET9 is available for pre-order in China, with deliveries set to begin there in the first quarter of 2025.
Nio has yet to announce plans to enter the Australian market, though it has lodged trademark applications for a raft of its nameplates – some of which have been opposed by Audi for being too similar to its nameplates.
