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This article is about the manufacturer NIO. For the race team see this article: NIO Formula E Team.
NIO
NIO Logo
Background
Based Flag of China Shanghai, China
Founded William Li (2014)
Founder Unknown
Key People
Industry Automobiles
Formula E Record
Début 2015 Beijing ePrix
Total Entries 47 (47 Starts)
Wins Poles FLs
0 2 1
Total Points 142
Former Team(s) Unknown
Current Season
Team(s) Flag of the United Kingdom NIO Formula E Team
Car NextEV NIO 003

NIO is an Anglo-Chinese automotive brand and most prominent part of the NextEV Ltd. group of companies.[1] The NIO/NextEV group has been involved as a manufacturer in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since 2015/16, and fields its own team named the NIO Formula E Team.[2]

While NIO is a Chinese registered business, headquartered in Shanghai, China, its Formula E and automotive operations are currently registered in London, U.K.[3]

Background[]

NextEV was originally formed in 2014 by William Li (Li Bin in Chinese), with the intention to build electric vehicles for, primarily, the Chinese market.[1] To promote his new "start up", Li bought a controlling stake in China Racing, a race team in the 2014/15 FIA Formula E Championship.[4] This deal also included a provision for NextEV to become a powertrain manufacturer for the 2015/16 season, a deal which was duly fulfilled by Li's new "start up".[4]

The NIO brand would appear in 2016 launching with the NIO EP9, an electric supercar based on the firm's exploits in Formula E.[5] The EP9 was a major catalyst for the new "start up's" rapid expansion, which grabbed headlines by setting a new record for EVs on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.[5] With that, NextEV effectively became known as NIO, with their FE team re-branded as the NIO Formula E Team for 2017/18.[2]

Formula E History[]

NextEV's first involvement in the FIA Formula E Championship came part-way through the 2014/15 season, with Li obtaining a controlling stake in China Racing.[4] This deal, signed in the weeks before the 2015 Monaco ePrix, would see China Racing re-branded as NEXTEV TCR for the rest of the season.[4] It was under the "NextEV" moniker that Nelson Piquet Jr. collected the inaugural Formula E Championship title, with NextEV obtaining factory status as part of Li's takeover.[4][6]

Manufacturer Machinations[]

NextEV would follow a unique design path for their maiden FE powertrain, using two motors paired with a three speed transmission.[4] Unfortunately the new car proved very unreliable during the 2015 Donington Test, with NextEV covering the least amount of distance of any team bar Trulli-Motomatica and Andretti.[7] However, they would get on top of their reliability concerns during the test, and would achieve a points finish with Oliver Turvey at the opening round.[8]

The rest of the 2015/16 season was less successful, although the NIO squad stuck with their powertrain design for the 2016/17 edition of the Series.[9] They also retained drivers Turvey and Piquet, and, after a gruelling pre-season test schedule, would be rewarded with a maiden pole position, and front row lockout, at the season opening 2016 Hong Kong ePrix.[10] However, while the FormulaE 002 proved to be a strong qualifier, it lacked overall pace during the race, meaning Turvey and Piquet would frequently slip down the order having qualified well.

Regardless, NextEV, now listed as NIO, would again pursue a two-motor solution for 2017/18, although they were forced to change their driver line-up, replacing Piquet with Italian rookie Luca Filippi.[2]

Products[]

NIO, in both their current and former guise, have been a registered manufacturer in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since 2015/16, and have produced several powertrains for their race team, the NIO Formula E Team.[2]

NextEV TCR FormulaE 001[]

Main article: NextEV TCR FormulaE 001.

The NextEV TCR FormulaE 001 was NextEV's first Formula E car to feature their powertrain, and was unique for using two motors and a three speed gearbox.[4]

NextEV FormulaE002[]

Main article: NextEV FormulaE 002.

For 2016/17 the two motor/three speed gearbox design was retained by NextEV, although vastly improved materials and electronics meant that the FormulaE 002 was a more reliable creation.[9]

NextEV NIO 003[]

Main article: NextEV NIO 003.

The third NIO design, the NIO 003, was another evolution of their original design, and would record NIO's first podium finish as a manufacturer at the 2018 Mexico City E-Prix.[11]

References[]

Videos and Images:

References:

  1. 1.0 1.1 'Company Overview of NextEV Limited', bloomberg.com, (Bloomberg L.P., 2018), https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=311626862, (Accessed 26/05/2018)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 'Season 4: official team & driver entry list confirmed', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 03/11/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/october/season-4-official-team-driver-entry-list-confirmed/, (Accessed 03/11/2017)
  3. 'About NIO', nio.io, (NIO, 2018), https://www.nio.io/about, (Accessed 26/05/2018)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 'China Racing to run NEXTEV powertrain', fiaformuale.com, (FIA Formula E, 27/03/2015), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/march/china-racing-to-run-nextev-powertrain.aspx, (Accessed 26/05/2018)
  5. 5.0 5.1 ABB Formula E, 'NIO EP9: The Fastest EV Supercar In The World - Formula E', youtube.com, (YouTube: ABB FIA Formula E Championship, 04/12/2016), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8IscEyYrV0, (Accessed 26/05/2018)
  6. 'Bird hails ‘unbelievable’ end to season', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 28/06/2015), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/june/bird-hails-unbelievable-end-to-season.aspx, (Accessed 28/06/2015)
  7. 'Prost fastest as testing concludes', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 25/08/2015), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/august/prost-fastest-as-testing-concludes.aspx, (Accessed 25/08/2015)
  8. 'Buemi to the max in Beijing', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 24/10/2015), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/october/buemi-wins-swusp-beijing-eprix.aspx, (Accessed 25/10/2015)
  9. 9.0 9.1 'TEN TEAMS ENTERED FOR THE 2016-17 FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 01/07/2016), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2016/july/ten-teams-entered-for-the-2016-17-fia-formula-e-championship/, (Accessed 08/07/2016)
  10. 'Piquet takes pole in Hong Kong', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 09/10/2016), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2016/october/piquet-takes-pole-in-hong-kong/, (Accessed 09/10/2016)
  11. 'Abt finally clinches first victory in Mexico City', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 03/03/2018), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2018/march/abt-finally-clinches-first-victory-in-mexico-city/, (Accessed 04/03/2018)
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