Nio ET9 is equipped with a sophisticated active suspension system that allows it to carry glasses of champagne on the hood without dropping them, but also to free itself from a lot of snow
Nio ET9 is the enormous electric SUV-Coupé presented at the end of December 2023 as the Chinese alternative to the Tesla Model build the rear seats. But also what Nio calls “SkyRide” and which is nothing more than a chassis with extremely refined active suspension. A system which, in addition to keeping the car on the road and increasing the comfort of the driver and passengers, can also be used for an unexpected task: shake off a huge snowdrift from the surface of the car.
AWAY THE SNOW WITH SKYRIDE
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In a video published by Nio itself on its Weibo profile (the most used social network in China) you can clearly see how the ET9 manages to remove almost all the snow covering it. It does it in the simplest and most logical way of all: the air suspension raises and lowers the sides of the car to swing it vigorously and literally throw the snow away. All that remains is the ice stuck to the windows, which the car’s air conditioning system will then take care of. We don’t know if Nio has already patented this anti-snow system, an idea that could also be taken up on other models with active suspension.
CHAMPAGNE TO TOAST ON THE BUM
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It must be said, however, that the SkyRide system was not created to clear snow, but to increase driving comfort and safety. With results, once again, impressive: in a video from a few weeks ago, Nio showed an ET9 tackling a large amount of artificial speed bumps at a constant speed and with a table positioned on the hood. Above the table there are, positioned in a pyramid, six half-full glasses of champagne. The wine, during the journey of the car, moves but does not come out of the glass and no glass falls due to vibrations.
AN SUV THAT LOOKS LIKE A JET
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Nio, not without a touch of marketing, defines the travel experience aboard ET9 as comparable to that of a private jet. A giant 5.32 meters long, 2.01 meters wide, 1.62 meters high and with a wheelbase of 3.25 meters. The curb weight is unknown, but it will certainly be more than 2.5 tons also due to the 120 kWh battery and the two electric motors (245 HP at the front and 462 HP at the rear). The price? Starting from 112 thousand dollars in the US (approx 103,000 euros at the exchange rate of 20 February 2024), the one for the European market is unknown.
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