China’s Menacing NextEV NIO EP9 Claims To Be 'World’s Fastest' Electric Supercar

EP9 Hero v2 3840
Make no mistake; the Tesla Model S is an attractive electric vehicle that has the ability to accelerate to 60 mph in less than three seconds and carry up to seven people in relative comfort (the two kids in the rear-facing jump-seats might disagree). But at the end of the day, it’s still a sedan that doesn’t exactly excite like a supercar (think McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder or Ferrari LaFerrari).

NextEV, a Chinese manufacturer that fields a team in Formula E, is looking to take the world by storm with its EP9. Launching under the NIO sub-brand, the EP9 is said to accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and can hit 124 mph in 7.1 seconds. After 15.9 seconds, the EP9 will be traveling at a heady 186 mph.

SC 005 NIO EP9 rear34

The EV weighs 3,825 pounds (about 200 pounds heavier than the 918 Spyder), of which 1,400 pounds is devoted solely to the lithium-ion battery pack. Despite the fact that the EP9’s motors combine to produce an astonishing 1390 horsepower, it still has a respectable driving range of 265 miles.

So what do all of these performance numbers mean in the real world? Well, NextEV says that the EP9 is capable of lapping the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife race track in 7 minutes, 5 seconds.

SC 002 NIO EP9 front

Interestingly enough, NextEV is claiming that the EP9 is the world’s fastest EV, but we have the feeling that Rimac Automobili would take issue with that statement. Rimac’s Concept_S can dash to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and can hit 186 mph in 13.5 seconds. Likewise, the Concept_S is capable of topping out at 226.8 mph, whereas NextEV hasn’t provided a top speed for the EP9.

Whatever the case, we’re just happy to be living in a world where we have beautiful EVs that can lay down impressive numbers that would have been unthinkable just 10 years ago.

Tags:  ev, nextev, nio ep9, ep9
Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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