10 Torque Autos December 2016
NEXTEV LAUNCHES NIO BRAND AND WORLD ’ S FASTEST ELECTRIC CAR
At a launch event at the Saatchi Gallery in London , UK , electric car company NextEV unveiled its brand , NIO . his visionary electric car brand will help users rediscover the ' joyful lifestyle ' of car ownership by creating inspiring vehicles that deliver superior performance , a new benchmark for aesthetic design and unique user experiences .
Additionally , the company unveiled its electric supercar , the NIO EP9 , which has achieved a new lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe . On October 12th 2016 , the EP9 lapped the 20.8km ' Green Hell ' in 7m 05.12s , beating the previous EV lap record held , marking it out as the fastest electric car in the world . Additionally , 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 m o t o r s a n d f o u r i n d i v i d u a l gearboxes , the EP9 delivers 1-MegaWatt of power , equivalent to 1,360PS . he EP9 accelerates from 0-200kph in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 313kph . With an interchangeable battery system , the EP9 is designed to be charged in 45 minutes and has a range of 427 kilometres .
he carbon cockpit and chassis embodies a new approach to performance vehicle design to handle the physical demands of a car with 3G cornering capabilities , with added structural solidity and aero efficiency . he EP9 is capable of achieving 24,000 Newtons of downforce at 240kph .
NextEV Founder and Chairman , William Li , said : " Today we launched our electric supercar that broke the record at the Nordschliefe . he NIO EP9 was born to push limits and is the irst stage of automotive production for NIO . It is a statement of our vision and technical and manufacturing capabilities . It is a best-inclass product that showcases what is possible with electric vehicles . We believethatwhen the car ownership experience exceeds expectations , electric vehicles will become the natural choice for everyone , leading to a more sustainable tomorrow . And with that , our vision of a blue sky will come true ."