Nio has announced the start of production for its 900-volt drive system, known as Thunder, which will debut in the company’s upcoming flagship model, the ET9, next year.
The Nio ET9, a 5.33-meter-long vehicle blending SUV and luxury sedan features, will be the first model to utilize the 900-volt platform, with deliveries expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025. Pre-orders for the ET9 are already available, starting at approximately 800,000 yuan or around 100,000 euros.
Equipped with a 120 kWh battery composed of self-developed round cells in a 46105 format, the ET9 boasts an impressive energy density of 292 Wh/kg. The battery can be fast-charged at 600 kW, enabling a range of 255 kilometers in just five minutes.
The flagship model will feature all-wheel drive, with a 340 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor installed on the rear axle and a 180 kW asynchronous motor on the front axle, resulting in a total system output of 520 kW. The new 900-volt electric drives are 30 percent lighter and 280 millimeters shorter than their predecessors, thanks to increased integration.
This reduction in size allows for more interior space and lower energy consumption, according to Nio. The rear axle’s PSM weighs just 79 kilograms and achieves a power density of 4.3 kW/kg, while the front axle’s ASM weighs 69 kilograms and boasts a power density of 2.6 kW/kg, the “world’s highest power density among asynchronous electric motors,” according to Nio.
The increased peak output of 340 kW at the rear axle is made possible by a revised cooling system for the drive unit, which increases the peak continuous output of the engine by 30 percent. Both the PSM and ASM are controlled by new power electronics utilizing silicon carbide semiconductors, achieving a power density of 1,315 kW/l and designed for over 300,000 power cycles.
