NIO EP9: ‘The acceleration is completely bonkers’ | CNN

World’s fastest electric road car: ‘The acceleration is completely bonkers’

2 minute read
Updated 11:37 AM EDT, Wed May 17, 2017
The NIO EP9 recently broke the lap record at Germany's famous Nurburgring circuit.
The NIO EP9 recently broke the lap record at Germany's famous Nurburgring circuit.
NIO
The EP9 shaved off 2.1 seconds from the previous best time by a road-legal vehicle -- set by the Radical SR8LM in 2009.
The EP9 shaved off 2.1 seconds from the previous best time by a road-legal vehicle -- set by the Radical SR8LM in 2009.
NIO
Nicki Shields, presenter of CNN's Sueprcharged show, onboard the EP9 during a test day in January.
Nicki Shields, presenter of CNN's Sueprcharged show, onboard the EP9 during a test day in January.
Nicki Shields/NIO
The EP9 boasts one megawatt of power, equivalent to 1342 BHP, and a top speed of 194 mph (312 kph).
The EP9 boasts one megawatt of power, equivalent to 1342 BHP, and a top speed of 194 mph (312 kph).
NIO
The EP9 can accelerate from 0-124 mph (200 kph) in 7.1 seconds.
The EP9 can accelerate from 0-124 mph (200 kph) in 7.1 seconds.
NIO
"The handling was amazing," Shields says. "You can carry a lot of speed into corners and the acceleration out of them -- it just feels supersonic."
"The handling was amazing," Shields says. "You can carry a lot of speed into corners and the acceleration out of them -- it just feels supersonic."
NIO
"I've been in a lot of fast cars before but the EP9 is definitely the fastest," Shields says.
"I've been in a lot of fast cars before but the EP9 is definitely the fastest," Shields says.
Nicki Shields/NIO
The EP9 costs $1.48 million.
The EP9 costs $1.48 million.
NIO
NIO EP9: Record-breaking electric car

Story highlights

NIO EP9 broke Nürburgring lap record

CNN  — 

“Supersonic” is how Nicki Shields, presenter of CNN’s Supercharged show, describes the feeling of traveling in one of the world’s fastest electric cars.

The NIO EP9 set a new lap record holder at the Nürburgring earlier this month, but back in January, Shields got first-hand experience of the supercar’s power during testing at the UK’s Bruntingthorpe Airfield.

READ: Electric car breaks Nurburgring lap record

“The acceleration from 0-100 mph is completely bonkers,” Shields told CNN Sport. “I’ve been in a lot of fast cars before but the EP9 is definitely the fastest.”

From a standing start, the EP9 can accelerate to 124 mph (200 kph) in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194 mph (312 kph).

READ: Driving the new McLaren 720S

GALLERY: Best electric cars of 2017

“The handling was amazing,” added Shields. “You can carry a lot of speed into corners and the acceleration out of them – it just feels supersonic.”

The EP9 set a time of six minutes 45.90 seconds at the 12.9-mile (20.7-kilometer) Nürburgring circuit, breaking the previous record set by a road-legal car – the Radical SR8LM – in 2009.

Visit www.edition.cnn.com/motorsport for more stories

The all-time lap record – set by a Porsche 956 – has stood for more than three decades.

WATCH: Nicki Shields onboard the NIO EP9

Built for the FIA World Sportscar Championship, the Porsche – piloted by Stefan Bellof – clocked a time of six minutes 11.13 seconds during the 1983 “1000 km of Nürburgring” endurance race.