NextEV’s NIO EP9 electric supercar has set a new world record for the fastest self-driving car at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
On February 23, the NIO EP9 drove autonomously without any interventions, recording a time of 2m 40.33s at a top speed of 160 mph.
The same day, the NIO EP9 also beat the fastest COTA lap time for a production car with a driver, achieving a lap time of 2m 11.30s and reaching a top speed of 170 mph.
The technology and software which delivered the world’s fastest autonomous lap was developed by the engineers at NIO U.S. headquartered in Silicon Valley. This tremendous feat was accomplished from start to finish in just 4 months.
The fastest electric car in the world just set a new world record. NIO EP9 is now the fastest autonomous car ever. https://t.co/PelcACH6ya pic.twitter.com/M3F5TqcUmY
— NIO (@NIOSocial) February 27, 2017
A few months ago, on October 12, 2016, the NIO EP9 set a record at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe and lapped the 20.8km ‘Green Hell’ in 7m 05.12s, making it the fastest electric car in the world.
With four high-performance inboard motors and four individual gearboxes, the NIO EP9 delivers 1-MegaWatt of power, equivalent to 1360PS (1342BHP). The EP9 accelerates from 0-124 mph in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194 miles per hour. With an interchangeable battery system, the EP9 is designed to be charged in 45 minutes and has a range of 265 miles.
Padmasree Warrior, CEO of NIO U.S said, “At NIO, we are all about raising the bar for the entire automotive industry. Breaking records with the NIO EP9 demonstrates our automotive and technology expertise to be a leader in the global market. Our Silicon Valley team brings together the best talent from automotive and software domains, which helped us achieve this remarkable result in an incredibly short time. Our goal is to be the best next generation car company, by delivering autonomous vehicles with amazing experiences for people all over the world. We look forward to sharing our vision for the car of the future in Austin, Texas at SXSW in March.”
COTA COO, Katja Heims said: “We are honored to be a part of NIO’s amazing lap record and see performance and autonomy coexist. We all know that autonomous vehicles are part of the future and this new record is further proof.”
NIO will hold a U.S. launch in Austin, Texas from Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 12 at Coppertank Event Center.
