Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio has released a new software update for its ‘Cedar’ operating system, with improvements to the smart cockpit, the in-car voice assistant ‘Nomi,’ and the vehicle’s active suspension system.
The ‘Cedar’ was first released last March, with the launch of Nio‘s executive flagship sedan, the ET9, the first model built on the third generation platform.
Last September, when launching a new iteration of the ES8, the EV maker said the three row SUV would also feature the most advanced operating system.
Version 1.3.5 is the sixth update rolled out by Nio over the past eight months and the second in just six weeks.
The new update introduces a new active suspension mode for the flagship ET9.
The ‘Tianxing Full-Active Suspension Bounce-Out Assistance’ supports low-speed operation below 15 km/h, rapidly adjusting the vehicle’s height and wheel movement.
According to the release notes, the ‘Tianxing’ full-active suspension works with the powertrain to help the car free itself from slippery conditions like snow or mud.
Additionally, the iPhone digital key has been improved — “even if the battery runs out or the phone shuts down, UWB still allows for keyless entry and vehicle operation,” the company says.
On both models, Nio‘s in-car voice assistant ‘Nomi’ now supports four new interactive experiences, including “entertaining special appearances, respond to user commands, display unique expressions, and showcase special skills.”
The new update also introduces a ‘Rear-Seat Motion Sickness Prevention Mode,’ which “softens the motion changes of new display interface images along the horizontal edges of the screen.”
Vehicles with the new update will now feature a welcome chime, enabled by default, which can be turned off by users if preferred.
Earlier on Friday, Nio unveiled two new color themes for the ultra-luxury sedan at the Guangzhou Auto Show.
The new “FirstLight” and “SunlitPeak” themes join the original gray-silver combination introduced when Nio debuted the ‘Horizon Edition’ in September.
The special edition currently outsells ET9’s original version, Nio’s founder and CEO William Li said in a media roundtable that followed the announcement.
In early October, the ‘Cedar 1.3.0’ update introduced intelligent driving functions such as the ‘Intelligent Slip Control,’ which let the car actively switch between AWD and stability systems.
It also added an ‘Intelligent Adaptive High-Beam Warning Light’ to ensure driving safety.
Earlier this month, Nio announced that an upgraded version of its Nio World Model (NWM) assisted driving software will begin rolling out by year-end for ‘Banyan’ users.
Cedar and Cedar S platform users will receive the update in the first quarter of 2026.
Nio currently operates multiple software platforms across its portfolio.
The ‘Cedar’ operating system has replaced the ‘Banyan’ in new high-end models being released in China.
The refreshed versions of the ET5, ET5 Touring, EC6, and ES6 (known as EL6 in Europe) models, which were upgraded in late May, operate on the ‘Cedar S’ system.
At the same time, Nio still operates a local version of the ‘Banyan’ OS in European vehicles, which are based on the second generation platform.
In a business trip to Europe earlier this month, William Li and Nio’s co-founder/president Lihong Qin admitted that the rollout of new features to European customers has slowed down as part of the cost cutting measures.
Chinese EV maker Nio Inc. has registered 35 vehicles in Norway through the first 25 days of May, marking its strongest monthly performance in the country so far this year.
Nio Inc.'s founder and CEO William Li expects Onvo to become the group’s majority seller, targeting the sub-brand to eventually account for 55% of total vehicle sales under a long-term 35-55-10 brand mix.
Nio launched the ES9 on Wednesday, the most expensive and largest vehicle the Chinese automaker has built, with first deliveries in China scheduled for Thursday, May 28.
Nio has increased its investment in AI training compute roughly fivefold this year and plans an even larger wave of spending, founder and CEO William Li told reporters in Beijing on Thursday, a day after the launch of the company's ES9 flagship SUV.
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