Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO has announced that it will launch its line of premium EVs in Norway, which will be the first country in Europe to offer the brand.
Founded in 2014, the company aims to establish NIO as a global brand, with the Norwegian market marking the first step in NIO’s European journey. The NIO ES8, the flagship smart electric SUV with an electric range of around 500 kilometers (WLTP), is the first model NIO is offering in Europe. NIO’s all-electric smart sedan ET7 will follow in 2022. Pre-orders for the ES8 will be available from July 2021. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered from September 2021.
“From the beginning, we have been a company with a global focus. We have been operating our design center in Munich since 2015, we have a performance team in Oxford, and we have our software team in San José in Silicon Valley. We now employ more than 9000 people from 45 countries. We were the first to enter the market in China. Now it’s about introducing our brand and our products in Europe,” said NIO CEO and founder William Li.
NIO launched the ES8, a seven-seater flagship premium smart electric SUV in December 2017, and began deliveries of the ES8 in June 2018 and its variant, the six-seater ES8, in March 2019. NIO launched the ES6, a five-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV, in December 2018, and began deliveries of the ES6 in June 2019. NIO launched the EC6, a five-seater premium smart electric coupe SUV, in December 2019, and began deliveries of the EC6 in September 2020. NIO launched the ET7, a flagship premium smart electric sedan, in January 2021.
NIO intends to establish its entire product and service portfolio in Europe – including the innovative NIO Power Swap technology, which enables vehicle batteries to be automatically replaced within three minutes.
The first four stations are scheduled to go into operation before the end of 2021. More swap stations will be added in 2022, creating initially a power network in five cities in Norway.
In addition, NIO will also build its own Supercharger network in Norway. With NIO Power Home, a charging solution developed for the home will be added to the offering. giving NIO users in Norway a unique charging experience.
Within Norway, the premium services are based on the establishment of a full-fledged NIO service and delivery center in Oslo. In addition, NIO will establish a service network in four other cities (Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and Kristiansand) in 2021. In 2022, the offer will be established nationwide through a cooperation network with additional authorized partners.
NIO’s CEO William Li added: “In Europe, Norway is at the forefront of e-mobility and sustainable growth. When combined with the country’s strong sense of community and high purchasing power, it is an extremely attractive market for NIO in Europe.”
