Roughly five years ago, Chinese electric car startup NIO unveiled the EP9, its first production vehicle, and while it is unclear just how many examples were built, it did its job of acting as a halo vehicle and promoting the brand. However, does the EP9 still have some life left in it?
Patent images filed by NIO with the China National Intellectual Property Administration and shared by CNEVPost show a convertible variant of the all-electric EP9 supercar.
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The car depicted in this patent ditches the fixed roof of the standard model and simply features a wraparound windshield. There’s no indication that a roof can be affixed to the windshield, indicating it might be a droptop all of the time.
Beyond the lack of a roof, few changes have been made to the exterior design of the EP9, except for the presence of a large aerodynamic fin directly behind the cabin.
While the idea of a convertible NIO EP9 is exciting, it would be surprising if NIO launched such a car some five years after the coupe was unveiled. With that being said, we wouldn’t put it past NIO to develop a new halo performance car now that it is a publicly traded company. Doing so could not only boost the company’s share price but also further promote the brand.
The NIO EP9 coupe features four inboard electric motors producing 1,360 PS (1,341 HP) and 1,480 Nm (1,091 lb-ft) of torque. This is enough to allow it to sprint form rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.7 seconds and up to a top speed of 313 km/h (194 mph).
