On July 21, NIO's track carnival rolled into the Zhuhai International Circuit. Last November, NIO unveiled the EP9 electric supercar in London, England. This May, the EP9 held its first national track carnival at the Shanghai F1 International Circuit — marking the world’s first public experience of the EP9.
In June and July, NIO brought the track carnival to circuits in Beijing and Zhuhai. The goal was to attract potential customers from different regions and prepare for the opening of their experience stores.
It took 18 months to create the world’s fastest electric supercar. The EP9 represents a significant milestone in automotive innovation.
*EP9 was the final work of Leach before his passing.
Dr. Martin Leach played a pivotal role in the EP9’s creation. As a professional racer who once won the European Kart Championship, Leach served as president of Ford Motors (Europe) and global CEO of Maserati. His unique career path led NIO executives like Zhu Jiang and Wei Qi to praise him for his ability to seamlessly transition from racing to business leadership.
Founder Li Bin first met Leach in 2014. During the early stages of NIO’s formation, Leach helped Li Bin establish the company’s core values and product strategies. These efforts laid the foundation for NIO’s success today.
As an automotive industry veteran, Leach was renowned for his skill in leading small, high-performing teams. When Li Bin initially approached Leach about creating the fastest electric car in the world within 30 months, Leach expressed confidence, citing his previous work with Mazda.
After joining NIO as co-president, Li Bin challenged Leach to realize this ambitious project within 18 months, emphasizing that the car couldn’t merely exist on paper but had to dominate some of the world’s toughest tracks.
A few days later, Leach presented Li Bin with a list of requirements, assuring him that meeting these conditions would make it possible to achieve the goal in the given timeframe.
The EP9 was designed purely for the racetrack. With a price tag exceeding $1.2 million, only six units were produced, each delivered to influential investors like Li Bin, the founder of Che Hehe, Liu Qiangdong, Lei Jun, Ma Huateng, and Zhang Lei. These vehicles will offer test ride experiences to future users.
The EP9 boasts four high-performance motors and four independent gearboxes, delivering a single-wheel torque of 1480 Nm, accelerating from 0 to 200 km/h in 7.1 seconds, reaching a top speed of 313 km/h, and producing a staggering 1,360 horsepower. To put this in perspective, the average family car generates between 100 to 200 horsepower, while Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 offer 800 to 900 horsepower.
According to Zhu Jiang, from a product standpoint, the closest comparison to the EP9 is Ferrari’s FXX, both being specialized track-focused supercars.
Over the past few months, the EP9 has shattered lap records on several iconic tracks worldwide, including the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In May, it set a record of 6 minutes and 45 seconds on the New Zealand circuit.
Notably, the Porsche 918 achieved a lap time of 6 minutes and 57 seconds here, while the Lamborghini Huracán Performante managed 6 minutes and 52 seconds.
At the Zhuhai track carnival, Zhu Jiang explained how the EP9 achieved this impressive feat: weighing 1.7 tons, the car generates 2.4 tons of downforce through advanced aerodynamics and an automated chassis, equivalent to twice the downforce generated by an F1 car.
Beyond its full carbon fiber body, the EP9 features a minimalist interior, adhering to racing standards. The car is dominated by four LCD screens, replacing traditional levers with a driving mode adjustment knob.
NIO’s strategy is clear: if the EP9 can excel on the Nürburgring and perform competitively, the company will be seen as a reliable innovator in research and development.
Test Driving the EP9
During the test drive, NIO limited the speed to 190 km/h. The linear acceleration of electric vehicles and the resulting exhilaration are well-known to Tesla enthusiasts.
With nearly 1,500 Nm of torque, the EP9 delivers an unrelenting acceleration experience, even at the limited speed.
What does it feel like to test drive the EP9? Many participants reported feeling dizzy and disoriented after disembarking. Despite being securely fastened with a four-point seatbelt, the test rider experienced intense lateral acceleration of 1.4G during turns, causing noticeable movement in the passenger seat.
Click to watch the test drive video.
Beyond brand promotion, NIO’s involvement in racing is primarily driven by technological advancement.
Zhu Jiang emphasized that NIO’s approach to product development follows the principle of “from the track to the road.†Technologies developed for the Formula E race, such as the battery management system and swappable batteries instead of charging, will feature in the ES8 and subsequent production vehicles launching by the end of this year.
The ES8 is a mid-to-large SUV with an aluminum body and standard air suspension. Currently, the only other vehicles offering similar configurations are the Range Rover and Tesla Model X, both priced above 1 million yuan.
According to NIO’s product definition, the ES8 aims to deliver Tesla-like performance, Lexus-quality craftsmanship, and a price comparable to the Toyota Highlander (around 300,000 yuan).
NIO’s timeline indicates that the ES8, equipped with autonomous driving capabilities, will debut in China in early 2018, followed by an unmanned electric vehicle launch in the U.S. market in 2020.
Currently, NIO employs 2,000 workers from 40 countries across 13 R&D centers worldwide. From Formula E to the EP9 and the EVE concept car, NIO is challenging Tesla. However, achieving rapid success in such a competitive industry requires sustained effort and dedication.
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