Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Electric vehicle maker Nio has entered the luxury segment with the launch of its flagship sedan, the Nio ET9. Initially unveiled in December 2023, the model targets “the new generation of high-end business users” and debuted at the company’s annual event in Guangzhou on Saturday.
The executive 4-seater sedan features Nio’s new 925-volt high-voltage platform architecture and becomes the first model featuring a frunk. The second row features two 3K screens, reclinable (up to 135 degrees) and heated seats with 16-point massage, two executive tables and a mini fridge. The ET9 will use Nio’s new operating system named ‘Cedar’.
The model is the first one integrating Nio’s SkyRide Intelligent Chassis System which includes steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering, and full active suspension. According to Nio, the ET9 is the first model in China to obtain the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s steer-by-wire mass production certification.
Prices for the four-seater sedan in China start at 660,000 yuan ($90,570) under Nio’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) program, which allows customers to rent the battery for a monthly fee instead of purchasing it. Deliveries start in March 2025.
Drivers using the service can swap the battery at any of Nio’s 2,844 battery-swapping stations across China while the ones buying the car with the battery are able only to charge it.
If buying with the battery included, prices start at 788,000 yuan ($108,000) when acquired wit the battery pack.
In a statement, Li said the ET9 “is the result of Nio’s decade-long continuous investment in R&D, and it is also a testament to Nio’s journey alongside global automotive industry innovators.”
Later on, Nio’s founder added that, over the next decade, the company will “serve global users through our three brands, further the popularization of smart electric vehicles and help promote the global transition to electric vehicles and continue the work toward our mission of Blue Sky Coming.”
The model is in its initial production phase with mass production set to begin in February, according to Yi Yang, the plant’s communication manager. The timeline was communicated during a factory visit on Friday attended by EV.
Nio‘s chief executive said in November that the brand defined a new solution to create an interior space with “four independent yet highly interactive zones.”
“In terms of design, we didn’t set out to copy Rolls-Royce or Maybach. Their designs are influenced by the need for large engines requiring long hoods to accommodate them. Today, electric motors don’t need as much space. They’re compact yet powerful. So, keeping a large hood doesn’t make logical sense anymore,” he explained.
Li defended that design should follow the latest technologies making sure it serves the needs while staying luxurious.
“A design should reflect its era. It needs to harmonize the latest technology with user demands. Retaining a massive hood to mimic a Rolls-Royce may look luxurious, but it’s not logical. Luxury is fundamentally about rationality,” Nio‘s founder noted before mentioning the ET9 as an example of the ideology.
“Take the ET9, for example. Its interior space and external proportions immediately showcase how technology has shaped its design,” Li said. “It’s like the Dassault concept: a good-looking plane is one that performs well. Similarly, the ET9 reflects cutting-edge global technology and embodies what today’s flagship should be.”
As the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, the company’s CEO sees the upcoming two years as crucial for its success. After launching its first sub-brand Onvo in May, Nio will unveil the second one, Firefly, at its annual event on December 21 with deliveries of the debut model starting in the first half of 2025.
Nio shares closed 3.2% higher on Friday at $4.54. Year to date, the stock has lost about 50% of its value.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
