The Nio ET9 will be made in China the following year. It has a design with 900 volts and a charge power of 600 kW. Like other Nio gadgets, this one will work with battery-swapping stations in China. It will have three LIDAR cameras and steer-by-wire technology built in so that it can drive itself more safely. Nio, a Chinese company that makes electric cars, is clearly busy in China, but it looks like it is far from its stated goal of selling cars in the US. The company currently has nine electric cars, with the ET9, which was just released, being the most expensive. A 900-volt electrical design and steer-by-wire are just a few of the cutting-edge technologies that the ET9 has. When the wheelbase is stretched, the Nio is a huge 128 inches long, which is 0.8 inches longer than the Bentley Bentayga. The whole thing is 209.7 inches long. In terms of size, the ET9 is 4.7 inches shorter than the Bentayga and more like a large crossover than a normal SUV. Nio calls it a “landjet” design. A 456-hp permanent-magnet synchronous motor is in the back of the ET9, and a smaller 241-hp asynchronous motor is in the front. Together, they make up the all-wheel drive system. The 120.0-kWh battery works at 925 volts and can be charged quickly with DC power at up to 600 kW. In ideal conditions, NIO says it will be possible to charge at up to 158 miles per minute, but we still need performance numbers or an overall range. In China, Nio also has automatic battery switch stations where a fully charged battery can be swapped out for a dead one in less than five minutes. The ET9 is the first Nio to use steer-by-wire. Over the next few years, more and more Nios will start to use this feature. (The Toyota prototype had it, and the Tesla Cybertruck does, too.) The steering wheel and rack are not physically linked. Instead, all inputs and outputs are handled electronically, with a backup system in case the power goes out. We can assume that the supplier ZF Group made the ET9’s technology since Nio said earlier that they had a professional relationship with them on steer-by-wire. The ET9 also has rear-wheel steering and an active suspension with air springs that can be adjusted for height. Like other high-end Chinese cars, the ET9 is definitely made with people in the back seats in mind. In the back, there is a tray table in the shape of an airplane and two reclining chairs that look like they came from private jets. One of the 11 motorized blinds can be used to make the area darker, and the back seats can be leaned back up to 45 degrees. There is also a noise-canceling device. There will be a lot of digital screens, including a smaller 8.0-inch control screen between the back seats, a 15.6-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard, and 14.6-inch monitors hanging from the front seats of each rear passenger. With at least three LIDAR arrays—one looking forward and one on each side—the ET9 will be able to provide more advanced driver assistance. The processing power for these gadgets comes from the Shenji NX9031, which is said to be the world’s first automotive-grade chip with a 5 nm design. ET9 owners will definitely tell their friends and family about this achievement. In China, you can buy the ET9, and you’ll start getting it in the first quarter of 2025. At the moment, prices start at about $112,000.
