An electric vehicle developed in China has an ability that drivers in America's Northeast, and other parts of the country with a wintry season, will find appealing: It can shake off the snow.
That's just one exciting feature of NIO's ET9, a premium EV that Electrek reports is set for deliveries in less than a year.
It's a luxury model designed to compete with Porsche and other high-end brands. The $112,000 price tag reported by Electrek delivers a big cabin, a 360-degree tray for backseat riders, and an "executive bridge," per the description.
The lightweight battery/motor tech provides a 158-mile range from a five-minute charge. And the interesting ability to shake off snow comes thanks to an intelligent chassis that allows the vehicle to jiggle.
"Also used to prevent parking ticket placement?" one reader wrote in an apparent tongue-in-cheek comment on the Electrek story.
But NIO isn't joking around when it comes to EVs. Already sold in China and Europe, it has been reported that company officials are looking to enter the American market by 2025.
"My goal, and my commitment to this company, is I want all of us to buy a NIO car from our personal paycheck one day," NIO U.S. market CEO Ganesh Iyer told Nikkei Asia, an Asian-based news site. "I hope that 'one day' will be sooner, which means we need help from everyone — government, policymakers, supply ecosystem, [and] infrastructure readiness."
The company has some innovative approaches to make EV use easy for consumers in any country. The automaker has around 2,000 battery-swap stations overseas that serve as fully automated places to switch out spent power packs for new ones — all initiated with a voice command in the vehicle.
Most EV-makers have been focused on making ultra-cheap rides that most drivers can afford. The ET9 is part of a trend toward premium models in the sector. BYD recently showcased the $230,000 Yangwang U9, with a unique light show and dance function (yes, the car can dance).
While the fancy moves are impressive, the most impactful breakthroughs from BYD, NIO, and others are likely lighter, more efficient batteries.
EVs are already a cleaner option during their lifetimes than gas-guzzlers, even when considering the invasive lithium mining needed to gather the crucial battery material. And the ET9's five-minute quick charge is among developments that could extinguish so-called range anxiety for good.
What's more, up to $7,500 in tax breaks can help to cut the cost of buying an EV. Then, you can save up to $1,500 a year on gas and maintenance costs while also preventing thousands of pounds of air pollution from being fumed annually, all by going electric.
For NIO's part, it's likely only a matter of time before the snow-shaking ET9 is available stateside.
"This function might not be as effective if there's more moisture and ice in the equation, but as a Chicagoan with rough winters, I personally love this feature and would try to activate it in front of my shivering neighbors whenever possible," Electrek's Scooter Doll wrote about the snow-shedding feature.
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