Nio sold out all 999 units of the ET9 First Edition within hours of the launch, as announced by William Li, Nio CEO. The flagship sedan cost 818,000 yuan (112,000 USD) in China.
The First Edition features various updates to interior materials and exclusive badges compared to the standard ET9. Deliveries will start in March 2025.
During the media talk following the launch, Li said he would be happy if they sell 1000 units of ET9 every month. He Xiaopeng, CEO of Xpeng, who attended the Nio Day 2024, previously wished Li to sell 5,000 units smoothly.
The ET9 was launched on December 21 during the Nio Day 2024 in Guangzhou. The standard version with 100 kWh CATLβs NMC battery starts at 788,000 yuan (108,000 USD), slightly lower than the presale price of 800,000 yuan announced last year.
Like all Nio cars, the ET9 has a swappable battery. For 660,000 yuan (90,450 USD), you can purchase a car without a battery and subscribe to battery-as-a-service (BaaS) for 1,128 yuan (155 USD). This means you can swap your empty battery for a full one in one of the 2,850 swap stations Nio operates in China or 50 in Europe.
Nio ET7 is a 5.3-meter-long four-seater. The dimensions are 5325/2017/1621 mm (length/width/height), and the wheelbase is 3250 mm. It is the first Nio with frunk, and the capacity is 105 liters.
The trunk capacity is 544 liters, the curb weight is 2,700 kg, and the turning diameter is 10.9 meters.
ET9 sits on a new NT 3.0 platform with 900 V architecture, so expect some fast charging. The battery pack is 100 kWh, which is good for 650 km under CLTC conditions. The consumption is 16.2 kWh/100 km. Nio also teased a 120 kWh pack, but there was no word about it at launch. It might appear at swap stations later.
Nioβs most expensive car is AWD, powered by dual motors with a combined output of 520 kW (697 hp) and 700 Nm torque. On the rear axle is a 925V W-Pin 925 V synchronous permanent magnet electric motor with 340 kW power, and on the front axle is a 180 kW asynchronous induction motor. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
During the launch, Nio presented lots of advanced tech on ET9, including Skyride active suspension, which was presented on champagne test with Volkswagen ex-CEO Herbert Diess, or the tire puncture test to demonstrate vehicle stability, which William Li himself performed at a speed of 160 km/h.
ET9 is Nioβs halo car, aiming to show where the 10 billion yuan yearly R&D spending goes. It was designed to compete with premium German brands such as Mercedes-Benzβs Maybach, Audi, and BMW in China. From Chinese competitors, it will stand against the new Huawei brand Maextro and its massive, nearly 5.5-meter-long Maxtro S800 sedan.
