Chinese EV maker Nio began rolling out a new software update on Monday for its entry-level models in China, with new upgrades focused mostly on the intelligent cockpit and chassis.
The ‘Cedar S’ 1.3.0 update is being released approximately two months after version 1.2.0 and is supported on 2025 model year ES6, EC6, ET5T, and ET5 vehicles.
Late last week, the EV maker also started rolling out the latest ‘Cedar’ OS update to its high-end models — the flagship sedan ET9 and the new ES8 SUV.
Intelligent Chassis
Nio‘s ‘Wet Slippery Road Connection Control’ enhances driving stability on wet or slippery surfaces, delivering up to 88% improvement in vertical stability and 65% improvement in longitudinal stability.
By leveraging data from the vehicle’s navigation system, it can detect wet metal road surfaces up to 200 meters ahead and precisely distribute power and braking to each wheel.
This minimizes jolts and impacts, resulting in a smoother and more reassuring driving experience with the system being enabled by default, according to the EV maker.
For ES6 and EC6 SUVs, Nio also offers an ‘Intelligent Sensitive U-Turn’ function that improves low-speed maneuverability.
It reduces the vehicle’s turning diameter by 30–50 cm through precise disturbance management and real-time braking control, making turns smooth, quiet, and effortless while preventing tire wear.
The system remains on standby during normal driving and activates automatically when the vehicle is moving below 15 km/h and the steering wheel is turned sharply.
Intelligent Cockpit
The new update introduces several safety features for the cockpit.
The ‘Door Opening Warning Image’ displays the side blind spot camera view on the center and rear control screens whenever a seatbelt is unbuckled or a door is opened, along with a red light warning to indicate potential danger.
The ‘Turn Signal A-Pillar Blind Spot Image’ and a ‘Ultra-Wide A-Pillar Blind Spot Image’ features mark A-pillar blind spots in real time, giving the driver a clear view of the front at a glance.
Additionally, the ‘HUD Intelligent Narrow Lane Wheel Image’ automatically detects and displays the vehicle’s wheels on the HUD when traveling below 21 km/h through narrow roads, bridges, parking lot entrances, or right-angle turns.
All of these features are enabled by default and can be turned off through the settings.
Nomi and Other Features
Nio‘s in-car assistant ‘NOMI’ has been upgraded with more proactive suggestions that learn the driver’s personalized vehicle usage habits.
The company also introduced ‘NOMI Notes,’ a feature that allows the assistant to create an in-vehicle memory, enabling drivers to record important dates, to-do items, or sudden ideas at any time, which are immediately accessible.
The ‘NOMI Message Assistant’ helps users respond to messages, currently supporting Nio Phone and Apple devices, with Android phones to be added gradually.
Nio has also introduced a new accessory, the ‘Spirit Control Knob,’ which unlocks multiple functions within the intelligent cockpit.
Other Updates
The previous Cedar S 1.2.0 update brought improvements to smart safety and privacy protection and parking lot navigation.
Before the introduction of the new ‘Wet Slippery Road Connection Control’ feature, the company improved the driver assistant’s active suggestions, such as recommending Wet Mode when the roads are slippery or when it is raining.
It introduced smart safety features like the ‘Rear Collision Mitigation,’ part of the ‘Assisted Driving & Safety Guard’ settings, as well as the ‘General Obstacle Alert & Assistance’ function.
