(Yicai) Dec. 25 -- Auto startup Nio has unveiled its new flagship sedan, which at CNY800,000 (USD112,000) each are the the second-most expensive China-made new energy vehicles in the market.

The ET9, a four-seater executive sedan, is available to pre-order, with deliveries scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, Shanghai-based Nio announced on Dec. 23. Only BYD's Yangwang U8, priced at CNY1.1 million (USD154,000), costs more.

The ET9 is slightly larger than the market leader, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with a length of 5,325 millimeters, a width of 2,016 mm, a height of 1,620 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,250 mm, Nio noted, without disclosing its range.

The ET9 is equipped with many innovative and pioneering technologies, including Nio's first self-developed auto-grade five-nanometer chip, the NX9031, that can match four flagship chips in the industry, achieving higher efficiency and lower costs, according to the company. 

The model also has the world's first 900 high-voltage architecture with 46105 self-developed large cylindrical battery cells to extend its range by 255 kilometers with just a five-minute charge, Nio added. It has a SkyRide chassis that integrates steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering, and fully active suspension to improve handling accuracy and response speed, it noted.

At its Nio Day 2023 event on Dec. 23, the carmaker also launched its fourth-generation Nio Power Swap Stations and the 640-kilowatt Liquid Cooled Power Charger. PSS 4.0 is compatible with multiple brands and reduces the overall swapping time by 22 percent. Nio plans to build 1,000 power swap stations and 20,000 chargers next year.

Editor: Martin Kadiev