Autonomous Supercar Sets Record At Circuit Of The Americas — Goes Even Faster With A Driver

The electric vehicle also did something more astonishing; the electric EP9 lapped the COTA faster than any other production car when a driver took the wheel. So, the electric supercar made it clear that the future of high-performance cars is safe.

For demonstrating EP9's advanced autonomous technologies, the company sent the car around the Formula One circuit, and it lapped in 2m40.33s. During the autonomous lap, the car was able to achieve a top speed of 257km/h along the back straight.

But, the things changed when a professional driver jumped behind the wheel. The race driver was able to set a lap time of 2m11.30s and attained a top speed of 273 km/h.

These impressive lap times were able to achieve thanks to the incredible powertrain employed in the car. EP9 is powered by four high-performance inboard motors and has four individual gearboxes to produce a power output of 1,342bhp.

The acceleration is instant, 0 to 200 km/h in just 7.1 seconds and can clock a top speed of 312 km/h. The acceleration figure is comparable with petrol powered hypercars such as Bugatti Chiron and Porsche 918 Spyder.

Padmasree Warrior, Chief of NIO said, "At NIO, we are all about raising the bar for the entire automotive industry. Breaking records with the NIO EP9 demonstrates our automotive and technology expertise to be a leader in the global market.

"Our Silicon Valley team brings together the best talent from automotive and software domains, which helped us achieve this remarkable result in an incredibly short time. Our goal is to be the best next-generation car company, by delivering autonomous vehicles with amazing experiences for people all over the world."