NextEV, one of the most interesting new Chinese-backed manufacturers, has just pulled the wraps off its first car. And what a car the EP9 is, packing an equivalent of 1,360hp (or just over 1,000kW).
The EP9 hypercar is a four-wheel drive two-seater rocket, powered by four electric motors mounted inboard. This silent missile of a car was developed with cooperation from NextEV’s Formula E team, and that tech sees it hurtle from rest to 100km/h in just 2.7 seconds. Top speed is rated at 312km/h.
According to NextEV, the EP9 has managed to lap the ‘Green Hell’ of the Nurburgring in just 7:05:12sec, within a breath of Porsche’s 918 Spyder, and has claimed the title of being the fastest EV round the famous track, beating Toyota’s previous effort by a staggering 17 seconds.
The EP9 is also an incredible feat of aerodynamics, producing an almost unbelievable 24,000 Newtons of force at 240km/h, which is twice the downforce of an F1 car. And although its held to the same safety standards as FIA LMP1 cars, the EP9 has no intentions of duking it out on a track.
Only six of these electric hypercars will be built, and it will be joined by another NextEV car that should hit the Chinese market in 2017. The second car will be a more mainstream offering, dubbed the ES8 (Electric Sedan 8), and will have premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW in its sights.
Founder and chairman of NextEV, William Li, said that “the automotive industry is on the cusp of profound change,” and that “in the next decade, the car will be the smartest device that people will own, and we want to bring the mobile internet experience to the vehicle.”
“Nio is a brand that will exhilarate and delight. It will revolutionise the experience of car ownership for its users, redefining what it means to offer a premium service and product,” Li concluded. This is largely in line with what NextEV’s CEO, Padmasree Warrior, said yesterday about “Car 3.0,” and about how NextEV intends to bring to market a car that can ‘give back’ the time that people spend in traffic jams and the like.
Check out our gallery of the EP9's debut below.
