The NIO EP9 is a Chinese electric-powered, two-seat sports car manufactured by NIO in association with their Formula E racing division. The name EP9 stands for Electric Performance 9.
Developed and built in 18 months, the EP9 debuted at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
Despite its global announcement, there was very little information about the EP9; it originally debuted in 2016 and proceeded to set world records for fully electric lap times at the Circuit of the Americas, including while driving itself autonomously.
Six EP9s have been sold to NIO investors for £2,500,000 each, with ten additional EP9s will be sold to the general public.
It is not a road-legal vehicle designed for the track; none of the 16 production model EP9s will be for road use.
Europe has primarily dominated the hypercar industry. There have been attempts from North America, Japan, and South Korea have built some impressive supercars over the years but have never established themselves in the same way as Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti and other major European brands.
The Nio EP9 is designed and built in China, offering inflaming styling and good on-track performance. The all-electric vehicle EP9 probably represents China’s most serious attempt to get into the EV hypercar race.
The EP9 produces 1340 horsepower, with 330 HP distributed to each wheel. Because of the weight of the battery packs, electric vehicles are heavy. The EP9 weighs 3800 pounds which is hefty by hypercar standards but reasonable by EV standards.
Ultimately, with hypercars, high performance is essential. The EP9 reaches 60mph in less than 3 seconds and has a top speed of over 200 miles per hour. The performance, whilst not earth-shattering, is nonetheless is impressive.
Nio, the company behind the EP9, specialises in building electric cars. Although the EP9 is the ‘head-turner’, the company also offers well respected electric SUVs, including the EC6 and ES6. They have also produced a four-door saloon prototype.
They are an all-electric manufacturer, and their sales performance has been increasing incrementally. Given the march to all-electric motor vehicles and the weight of potential investment in China, their future looks very promising.