Chinese manufacturer NIO wants to mass-produce electric SUV this year

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Car manufacturer NIO, part of the Chinese start-up NextEV, has unveiled the ES8 at the Shanghai auto show. The seven-seat electric SUV is set to go into mass production this year, before hitting the Chinese market next year.

Besides the fact that the ES8 is powered by electric motors on the front and rear wheels, NIO has not yet given many details about the drive. Nor has it been disclosed what distance the car can travel on its batteries. The official unveiling of the car will take place at the end of this year.

The NIO ES8 is about five meters long and has a wheelbase of more than three meters. The body and chassis are made of aluminum and the car uses air suspension. Inside are large, tablet-like screens for displaying information.

NIO says it has already tested thousands of kilometers with the model, including in the extreme cold in Mongolia and in the heat in Australia. According to the manufacturer, the production line for making the ES8 is already ready and the delivery of all necessary parts has also been completed. The carmaker wants to start mass production this year, in order to be able to deliver the car in China early next year. It has not been disclosed how many copies the company can make and what the car will cost.

NIO is also taking orders for its supercar, the EP9, which was unveiled in November last year. The Chinese manufacturer will make ten new copies of the 1.4 million euro model. To date, six copies have been made, for investors of the company.

The EP9 has a carbon fiber chassis and body and is equipped with four engines that together can deliver a megawatt of power, which is equivalent to 1360 hp. That is good for an acceleration from 0 to 200 km/h in 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 313 km/h. The battery can be fully charged in 45 minutes and the range is up to 427 kilometers according to NIO.

According to the makers, the EP9 is the fastest electric car at the moment. The supercar clocked a lap time of seven minutes and five seconds on the Nordschliefe. The car also has technology for autonomous driving on board. The EP9 thus set the fastest time for self-driving cars on the Circuit of the Americas.

NIO EP9 self-driving in action at the Circuit of the Americas

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