The all-electric NI0 EP9 supercar has blazed around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6min 45.900secs and set a new electric car lap record.
WITH A TOP speed of 313km/h and the ability to accelerate to 200km/h from rest in just 7.1 seconds, the NI0 EP9 (the company might want to work on the name) was able to blitz its own record of the Nürburgring by 19.22 seconds (set in October 2016).
“In October 2016, we aimed to set a new lap record for an electric vehicle with our NIO EP9. In the inclement weather that the Nürburgring Nordschleife is known for, the EP9 completed two laps of the 20.8 km (12.9m) ‘Green Hell’, one of which was in 7m 05.12s, beating the previous EV lap record, making it the fastest electric car in the world.
“The EP9’s new lap record is 19.22 seconds faster than its previous lap time. This is a fabulous achievement for NIO and I am very proud of the team that has worked tirelessly to achieve this accolade,” said Gerry Hughes, Head of Performance Program & FE Team Principal, NIO.
NIO said it plans to offer another 10 NIO EP9s, all will be made to order and all cost more than $1.6 million. The company has also vowed to have fully autonomous vehicles on US roads by 2020.
Question: I’ve already explored the ‘practicality’ of performance cars, but this sort of stunt for ‘new’ technology is great as it draws attention to its potential. Do you agree?
I don’t think there’s any doubt of the performance potential of electric cars, they have no shortage of power and the ‘skateboard’ they are built on means the battery pack is low down and between the axles which has got to be good for handling….a quick lap time is really just the icing on the cake….
I love the idea of electric power. It is perfect for motoring but the cost is still way too high. Fuel prices include taxes that do not apply to electricity. Virtually no maintenance is a bonus, but then you have battery replacement to consider. For those with millions to spend, that is not an issue obviously. Will this help with mainstream acceptance? I don’t know. Until I can get a electric SUV for 50k or so, I’m content with what I’ve got.