NextEV unveils new NIO EP9, the world’s fastest electric car

By Nov 21, 2016, 9:20 AM EST
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LONDON, England – Chinese start-up manufacturer NextEV has today unveiled its new NIO brand and the EP9 electric supercar, the world’s fastest electric car.

During a launch event at the famous Saatchi Gallery in London, England, NextEV presented the EP9 to the world for the very first time that recently smashed the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nordschleife in Germany.

The EP9 features four high-performances inboard motors and four gearboxes, delivering a power equivalent to 1,360 BHP and a 0-200 kph time of just 7.1 seconds. Its top speed is 194 mph.

Testing of the car was carried out at the Nürburgring and Paul Ricard by Formula E drivers Oliver Turvey and Nelson Piquet Jr., both of whom have been integral to the development of the EP9.

The car showcases the developments being made in electric car technology, as advanced by the Formula E series that NextEV has been involved with from an early phase.

“The NIO EP9 was born to push limits and is the first stage of automotive production for NIO,” NextEV founder and chairman William Li said.

“It is a statement of our vision and technical and manufacturing capabilities. It is a best-in-class product that showcases what is possible with electric vehicles.

“We believe that when the car ownership experience exceeds expectations, electric vehicles will become the natural choice for everyone, leading to a more sustainable tomorrow.”

As well as breaking the EV lap record at the Nurburgring, the EP9 did the same at Paul Ricard, beating the previous benchmark of 2:40.000 with a time of 1:52.780.

Production of the car is due to take place in China, with the retail price set to be well north of $1 million. For those on a more limited budget, NextEV is also planning to develop an electric city car in the near future, again enhancing the technology that has gone into both the EP9 and its Formula E racer.

Besides the car launch, the unveiling of the new NIO brand also saw the arrival of a tweaked livery for the NextEV NIO Formula E team.

IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”