Innovative Chinese electric car manufacturer Nio is making a bold move into the luxury car market with its ET9 luxury sedan.
This state-of-the-art electric vehicle is not only an expression of luxury but also a testament to NIO's technological prowess and represents an important moment in China's growing role in the global electric vehicle industry.
The ET9 electric car competes with hybrid cars from Mercedes and Porsche, and the automaker says the ET9 executive sedan includes a number of advanced technologies it developed, including powerful automotive chips and a unique suspension system.
The price is about 112,500 US dollars, and deliveries to customers are expected in the first quarter of 2025, while the starting prices for the Panamera E-Hybrid and Maybach Hybrid S580e are about 166,800 US dollars and about 280,000 US dollars, respectively.
“We are building a revolutionary full-size sedan based on cutting-edge technology, and the ET9 is a perfect example of NIO's excellence in technological innovation,” said William Lee, co-founder and CEO of NIO.
This development comes at a time when Chinese automakers are trying to advance the value chain and compete directly with global electric car giants.
BYD's ultra-luxury Yangwang U8 is another example of this trend. This SUV costs around $154,500. Yangwang U8's side wheel motor allows the vehicle to rotate 360 degrees and roll sideways.
The ET9 has become the most expensive model developed by Weilai since its inception in 2014. The car uses the Shenji self-driving chip developed by NIO, which is said to have processing power equivalent to four Nvidia Orin chips.
The Sky Ride fully active hydraulic integrated suspension system provides drivers and passengers with a smooth and comfortable ride, even when the ET9 is traveling on uneven terrain.
The company offers 120 kWh electric vehicle batteries with an energy density of 292 kWh per kilogram, which is the main classification criterion for electric vehicle batteries.
NIO hopes to become a contender in the luxury electric vehicle space with the launch of the ET9 and hopes to demonstrate the company's R&D and manufacturing capabilities with this new model.
Nio is expanding its infrastructure and plans to install additional battery swapping stations, a concept aimed at alleviating the concerns of electric vehicle drivers.
Li said the company plans to build an additional 1,000 battery swapping stations in 2024, and NIO's battery swapping stations allow car owners to replace used batteries with fully charged ones.