We’re still about a year before we see the first deliveries of the ET9 – NIO’s most luxe EV model to date, designed as an ultra-premium executive vehicle to compete with the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Maybach. In a recent video posted by NIO, we see one of the features this $112k EV will deliver as the ET9’s intelligent chassis system can shake snow off of itself. See more below.
The ET9 is a fresh new model to NIO’s ($NIO) product pipeline – existing as a mere rumor a few months ago before being confirmed by company CEO William Li in December 2023. The ET9 will join NIO’s existing ET5 and ET7 sedans as the all-electric créme-de-la-créme.
Described as executive flagship sedan, NIO’s CEO teased the ET9 with news of an “industry-leading” 900V platform that will “break the industry’s upper limit.” The ET9’s 900V architecture requires less high-voltage wiring and, thus, less overall vehicle weight. All while increasing the rate of charge the upcoming sedan can receive.
At the time, NIO executives shared that the new platform also enables smaller and lighter electric motors, offering higher power density in a smaller footprint.
Oh, and it’s luxurious as hell, too – described by William Li as an all-electric challenger to Mercedes-Maybach, the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7-Series, the Audi A8, and the Porsche Panamera.
We’ve since seen the public debut of the NIO ET9, complete with a wire-controlled chassis, enabling easier upgradability over time. Today, we learned that the NIO chassis system has another nifty little feature – the ET9 can vibrate and shake back and forth, ridding itself of dormant snow.
Watch the NIO ET9 shake itself free of snow like a husky
First things first, you need to see the video, of course! NIO recently posted this footage of a camouflaged ET9 in the snow to its Weibo page, which you can view here. The twenty-three-second look at the snow-clad ET9 shows the new NIO intelligent chassis system at work, rocking back and forth to shed the fresh powder atop it.
This function might not be as effective if there’s more moisture and ice in the equation, but as a Chicagoan with rough winters, I personally love this feature and would try to activate it in front of my shivering neighbors whenever possible. If you’re driving an EV this expensive, you must flex a little, right?
When we say expensive, we mean the NIO ET9 starts at around RMB 800,000 ($112,000), which equates to shoveling snow out of about 11,000 driveways to save up for one kiddos. Although NIO’s executive sedan is available for pre-order in China, ET9 deliveries aren’t expected until early 2025 – just in time for snow!
Other premium features drivers can expect to see in the executive sedan include a “land jet” design that offers a spacious cabin equipped with a four-seat layout and an “Executive Bridge” interior with a 360-degree tray table for rear passengers. The 900V architecture will enable the EV to replenish 255km (158 mi) in a mere five minutes of DC fast charging.
What do you think? Is the NIO ET9 snow shaker a win or a gimmick? I’m just spitballin’ here, but it could also prove effective in shaking off your clinging fans when you’re cruising around in a $112,000 EV. Or, it could add another dimension of experiential listening, rocking back and forth “at sea” while you bump the “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack. There are so many possibilities beyond snow!
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