NextEV has something to boast about with its new Nio EP9 hypercar.
Sure the battery-powered beast produces 1,341 horsepower. And, yes, it also offers autonomous driving. And now it has a pair of official lap records on two different continents to cement its claim as “the world’s fastest electric car.”
First, the Nio EP9 took to the Nordschleife track at the Nürburgring in Germany. There it completed the track known as the “Green Hell” in 7:05, a full 17 seconds faster than the previous record for a battery-powered car.
With one record in place, Nio then took the EP9 to the Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas, on February 23 and put the hypercar through its paces on that 3.4-mile track. The EP9 achieved two recorded track times of note, one without a driver and one with a pro behind the wheel.
The autonomous lap saw the Nio EP9 cross the finish line win 2 minutes 40.33 seconds, with the 1,341-hp beast hitting speeds of up to 160 mph and driving the fastest autonomous lap ever. Then, with a driver at the helm, the EP9 completed a lap in 2:11.30 and reached a max speed of 170 mph to earn the fastest COTA lap time in a production car.
To put the latter time in context, the Nio EP9 completed the lap just 8 seconds slower than a Ferrari 458 GTE.
It took the team at NextEV and Nio just four months to be able to craft the autonomous technology featured in the EP9. That’s awfully good time for earning the honor of world’s fastest autonomous lap.
Unfortunately, those looking to get their hands on a Nio EP9 are out of luck, all six of the planned examples have been snatched up already.