Chinese EV maker Nio Inc. has registered 45 vehicles across its ten European markets in April, according to preliminary data compiled by EV on Tuesday.
The figure represents a seven-unit decline from a year ago — when the company only operated in five European countries and sold its premium main marque exclusively.
However, Nio’s premium brand has gone without an updated model or fresh lineup addition in Europe since the second-generation EL8 (known as ES8 in China) launched in 2024 — leaving the brand structurally exposed as European competitors continue to refresh their lineups to maintain competitiveness.
The brand launched the third-generation ES8 in China last September, but the new iteration has not been announced for the European markets.
The dynamic creates an additional inventory challenge for the Shanghai-headquartered company, which still needs to clear its 2022 and 2023 model-year stock to avoid taking inventory write-downs. The current inventory level remains undisclosed.
Nio has doubled its European market presence in recent months, entering Belgium, Portugal, Austria, Greece and Hungary through partnerships with local distributors.
The strategy aims to increase demand while cutting fixed costs as the Shanghai-based company pursues its first full year of profitability.
However, the expansion has so far failed to compensate for declining sales in established markets, where demand has weakened significantly.
The results also come as Nio‘s monthly exports hit their worst level since the company restarted overseas shipments, with data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showing the group exported just 44 vehicles in April across all three brands — Nio, Onvo and Firefly.
Additionally, a source within the company told EV earlier this year that Nio‘s European registration figures have historically been distorted by the company’s subscription model.
The dynamic — which continues to apply to the main Nio brand, operating under a direct-sales model in its original markets — can delay or obscure the link between customer activity and official vehicle registrations.
Nio‘s co-founder and President Qin Lihong said earlier this year that the company aims to sell “several thousand” EVs overseas in 2026, with plans for a larger-scale expansion over the next two to three years.
Two-Brand Strategy
Nio introduced its Firefly sub-brand in Europe last summer, beginning with the Netherlands and Norway in August.
Since then, the compact EV has been made available across the company’s newly entered markets and in Denmark, where the brand relaunched after sales failed to gain traction during its first three years in the country.
Firefly was designed in Munich and positioned as Nio‘s most affordable vehicle, targeting urban EV buyers in Europe with a starting price of €29,900 in the Netherlands and NOK 279,900 in Norway.
However, the sub-brand’s European performance has underwhelmed.
Firefly‘s chief Daniel Jin acknowledged earlier this year that early 2026 sales fell “considerably” short of expectations, while maintaining the brand’s expansion targets.
The two-brand approach was intended to broaden Nio’s European appeal — pairing the premium Nio lineup with the mass-market Firefly to cover more price segments.
However, Firefly‘s volumes remain marginal, albeit higher than Nio‘s.
Germany
Nio sold just one vehicle in Germany in April, an 18-unit decline from the same month a year ago and one unit less than in March.
The company has consistently registered around 17 to 20 fewer units year over year in each of the first four months of 2026, as demand continues to soften in what was once seen as a key target market for the brand.
As EV exclusively reported, Nio Germany’s chief David Sultzer was ousted by management earlier this year — following what was then the brand’s weakest sales month since entering the country, and which has repeated itself in April.
Sultzer’s exit came amid a broader restructuring of Nio‘s European operations, as EV learned a day after the report.
Nio‘s Head of Sales and Operations in Germany Sven Conrad also exited the company earlier this year after three years in the role.
Netherlands
Nio sold six vehicles in the Netherlands in April, all of them from the Firefly sub-brand.
The premium Nio brand failed to register a single vehicle in the Dutch market for the first time since entering the country in October 2022.
The Netherlands was one of Firefly‘s two launch markets in Europe and has served as a testing ground for the sub-brand since deliveries started in August last year.
A total of 29 Firefly vehicles have been registered in the Dutch market since the beginning of the year, while the Nio brand accounted for only six units.
Sweden
Nio‘s performance in Sweden has been inconsistent through the first four months of 2026.
The company sold four vehicles in January, zero in February, five in March and two in April, according to monthly updates from Mobility Sweden.
As of Tuesday morning, neither Mobility Sweden nor the registration tracking platform EU-EVs included Nio‘s registration figures on their website.
Norway
In Norway, Nio‘s sales climbed for the third consecutive month on a sequential basis.
The company sold 26 vehicles there in April — 22 under the main Nio brand and four Firefly units.
Firefly‘s contribution in Norway remains modest compared to the premium brand, in part due to the absence of an all-wheel drive option — which is preferred for snowy conditions.
Brand chief Daniel Jin has previously stated that Firefly is not considering an all-wheel drive version of its debut model, describing it as a city car for which rear-wheel drive performance should be sufficient.
Despite the sequential improvement, the 26 units represent a 3-unit decline from April 2025, when only the Nio brand was represented in the country.
Norway is Nio‘s strongest European market by volume — having surpassed Germany — though growth has plateaued since the company expanded to the country in September 2021.
Contrary to other European markets, Nio is not subject to the steep European Commission tariffs on Chinese EVs in Norway, since the country is not in the EU.
The trade scenario makes it easier for the brand to import vehicles from China, without having to increase prices.
Denmark
After a 7-unit jump in February, Nio sold just two vehicles in Denmark during March and just one in April.
All 11 units registered in the country this year have been Firefly EVs.
Nio‘s premium brand has not delivered a single vehicle in Denmark in 2026 so far, according to data from both Mobility Denmark and EU-EVs.
The EV maker relaunched in Denmark, introducing Firefly, after the main brand’s initial entry failed to gain momentum over three years.
The company’s local distributor opened a showroom for meetings and events as part of a renewed effort to build awareness in the market, following the opening of the country’s first Nio dealership in early 2026.
Other Markets
Nio‘s five newest European markets — all entered through distributor partnerships — contributed a combined total of just nine units in April, based on preliminary data.
Belgium reported four vehicles sold last month, while both Portugal and Austria sold two vehicles from the group, respectively.
Greece saw one Nio-branded vehicle registered in April, a significant slowdown from March when the group registered seven units — five Firefly EVs and two Nio vehicles.
Over its first two months in Greece, the company had registered 20 EVs, making the country one of the strongest early performers among the new markets.
Hungary, which only reports quarterly data, had not yet reported any data in 2026 as of Tuesday morning.
Nio recently cited “outstanding” demand for test drives of its Nio and Firefly fleets at the Ayvens Fleet Conference & Auto Expo — with all available test drive slots fully booked in advance.
— With assistance from Cláudio Afonso
