Electric vehicle manufacturer Nio has delivered its first vehicle in Denmark under a restructured business model, marking a restart in a market where the premium brand has struggled to secure demand.
Nio expanded to Denmark in October 2022 as part of a broader European push that included Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The move came one year after the company’s debut in Norway, which marked Nio‘s first international market.
Despite introducing several sedan and SUV models to the Danish market between late 2022 and 2023, demand fell significantly short of expectations.
The company registered only nine vehicles in Denmark through this year, following sales of just five units in 2024 and 41 in 2023, according to registration data platform EU-EVs.
Distributor Partnership and First Delivery
Nio‘s distributor for the Danish market, Nic. Christiansen Group, began taking orders and offering test drives in mid-October.
The company announced Wednesday that the first vehicle delivery under the new arrangement took place on November 23.
“Initial response from events such as Elbilsmessen shows strong interest,” Nio said Wednesday without disclosing order figures.
Battery Swap Station Closure
As exclusively reported by EV, Nio recently closed its only battery swap station in Denmark, marking the first time the Shanghai-based company has shuttered such a facility anywhere in Europe since its 2021 continental debut.
The closure of the Slagelse station accompanied the move of discontinuing its battery rental service in the Nordic country.
Strategic Shift to Distributor Model
Nio fundamentally restructured its Danish operations earlier this year, abandoning its direct-sales model in favor of a local distributor partnership.
The EV maker’s co-founder and President Lihong Qin visited Denmark and several other European markets last June, where he signed the agreement with Nic. Christiansen Group to handle imports and sales in the country.
The deal marked the first time Nio changed its business model in a market where it was already present.
While the dealership model is being used in all new markets, Nio maintains its direct-sales approach in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, where it has already established infrastructure including flagship showrooms across major cities.
Relaunch Strategy
Casper Mysling, newly appointed Country Manager for Nio and its sister brand Firefly, confirmed the agreement with the local distributor in a LinkedIn post, describing it as a relaunch under a new approach.
“We will relaunch Nio in Denmark with a new strategy and a much more attractive price point than before,” Mysling wrote on LinkedIn last June.
Nic. Christiansen Group said vehicles under the Chinese manufacturer will initially be showcased in Copenhagen, with additional showrooms planned for Aarhus and possibly Odense in 2026.
