Nio wraps off ET9 flagship electric sedan, challenges Mercedes Maybach S Class

China's electric car manufacturer Nio has unveiled its new flagship sedan ET9 at its annual customer event. Christened as Nio ET9, the pure electric executive sedan is slated to challenge the models like Mercedes Maybach S-Class and Porsche Panamera. Reuters has reported that the ET9 is expected to reach customers in the first quarter of 2025 and it would be priced at $112,000, making it more expensive than the Tesla Model S electric sedan.

The Nio ET9 is equipped with the Chinese electric car manufacturer's self-developed five-nanometre automotive-grade microchip and large cylindrical battery cells. Also, it comes with a 900-volt ultra-fast charging platform that could charge the electric sedan's battery ensuring a range of 255 kilometres in just five minutes.

Speaking about the EV, Nio's CEO William Li has reportedly said the ET9 reached a new height of innovation and technological development thanks to the more than 100 Nio full-stack technologies. Speaking about the design of the EV, the ET9 comes with a new shape. Nio claims the sedan features a landjet silhouette that creates a confident and poised stance. The sleek-looking electric sedan features a glass roof that enhances its luxury quotient by offering a grand spacious feel inside the cabin. The seats of the car claim to incorporate 24 patented technologies. The roof gets a panel christened as Sky Bridge that runs from front to rear and bifurcates the glass roof.

Being a luxury electric sedan, the cabin of Nio ET9 features a lot of digital interface. There is a large centre touchscreen infotainment system complemented by a fully digital instrument cluster. The rear occupants get individual large tab-like touchscreen infotainment systems that come fitted to the back of the front seat headrests. Instead of conventional buttons, Nio has added a wide range of touchscreen panels across the cabin for both front and rear occupants increasing the premiumness of the EV.

Powering the Nio ET9 electric sedan is a 340 kW permanent magnet motor with SiC located at the rear axle and a 180 kW induction motor at the front axle. Combined, the two electric motors churn out a total power output of 698 bhp. The EV claims to come with a smart restraint system that can detect different collisions and severity levels, as well as body figures of the occupants. It comes coupled with an automatic airbag inflation and seatbelt tension adjustment system.