Data published by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Friday showed that the Nio Group exported 103 vehicles from China in March.
The figures have more than doubled from the 47 units shipped in February, as production recovered from the disruption caused by the extended Chinese New Year holiday.
The rebound also brings the Shanghai-based group’s first-quarter export total to 271 vehicles.
The pace remains well below the one needed to reach the company’s target announced by the co-founder and President Qin Lihong, who mentioned “several thousand units” delivered overseas this year.
Additionally, March shipments trail far behind the group’s record 750 units shipped in December.
Founder and CEO William Li has set a goal for the group to be present across 40 countries and regions by year-end — up from approximately 20 at the close of 2025.
Firefly
Nio positions Firefly as its lead brand for overseas expansion.
“In China, our lineup is ‘Nio, Onvo, Firefly,’ while globally it is ‘Firefly, Onvo, Nio,'” founder William Li wrote in an internal letter earlier this year.
The Firefly sub-brand shipped 41 units in March, representing 39.8% of the group’s total.
While the figure is more than triple February’s 12 units, Firefly‘s share of the export mix declined from the 57.9% it held in January — when it led the group’s overseas shipments with 70 vehicles.
The brand launched a refreshed version of its debut model in China this week, adding a free over-the-air motor power upgrade to 120 kW, along with new ADAS features and colour options.
It remains unclear whether the refreshed model will — or when it will — be introduced in overseas markets.
Firefly delivered its 50,000th unit late last month, eleven months after handovers began.
Brand chief Daniel Jin told Nikkei last month that early 2026 overseas sales had fallen “considerably,” but maintained Firefly‘s target of launching in 20 to 30 countries this year.
Nio Brand
The premium Nio brand accounted for 53 of the 103 vehicles exported, up from 35 in February.
The ES6 — marketed as the EL6 in Europe — led the brand with 20 units, followed by the ET5 sedan with 19 and the ET5 Touring station wagon with 12.
Earlier this month, Nio unveiled the 2026 model year versions of its four entry-level models — which also includes the EC6 SUV, not offered overseas.
Whether the refreshed versions will be shipped to Europe remains unknown.
One ES8 and one ET9 were also shipped overseas.
The ET9 marks the third unit exported since the flagship sedan first appeared in overseas registrations last November, with all three registrations aligning with the company’s expansion into Uzbekistan.
No EC6, ES7, EC7, or ET7 units were exported during the month.
Nio is updating its lineup in China, in the meantime.
The company unveiled its new flagship ES9 on Thursday — now China’s largest fully electric SUV — with pre-sales starting at 528,000 yuan ($77,200).
The model replaces the ES8 at the top of the brand’s range, and deliveries are scheduled to begin on June 1.
The all-new ES8, launched late last year, has driven domestic Nio sales for the past few months.
The refreshed six-seat SUV has not been launched in overseas markets, however.
Lihong has revealed that a five-seat version of the ES8 will launch in early July in China.
Onvo
Onvo exported nine vehicles in March — five L60 SUVs and four L90 units — its strongest export month to date.
The family-oriented sub-brand had shipped just one unit in January and none in February.
The L90’s appearance in the export data is new.
The sub-brand’s overseas presence has so far been limited, with L60 units spotted in Uzbekistan late last year.
Onvo is preparing to release a facelift of the L90 on April 21, including LiDAR for the first time, while the upcoming L80 — a five-seat variant of the SUV — is expected to be launched in May.
Nio Deliveries
The Nio Group — including the three brands — delivered 83,465 vehicles in the first quarter of 2026, exceeding its guidance range of 80,000 to 83,000 units by nearly 500 vehicles.
The figures represent a 98.6% increase from the 42,094 units delivered in the same period a year ago.
For the full year, the company is targeting 40–50% delivery growth, implying between 456,000 and 489,000 vehicles.
The first-quarter total accounts for between 17.1% and 18.3% of that annual target.
The 271 vehicles exported in the quarter, however, remain a fraction of the group’s output — representing just 0.3% of total deliveries.
Co-founder and President Qin Lihong said in March that the company is targeting “several thousand units” shipped overseas this year, as it plans for a larger-scale expansion “in the next two to three years.”
Europe
Nio is in the process of restructuring its European operations, transitioning from a direct-sales model to a distributor-based approach as it works to lower costs and expand into new markets.
The group is preparing to enter Cyprus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Poland this year.
As exclusively reported by EV, no new vehicles have been shipped to the company’s European markets in recent years, with the existing fleet cycling through a subscription model that registers each vehicle only once — regardless of how many customers subsequently use it.
The structure has distorted Nio‘s European registration data since the brand launched on the continent, simultaneously understating its active user base while masking the absence of new inventory.
The company continues to see European demand weaken despite launching the more affordable Firefly sub-brand last summer and doubling its number of markets on the continent.
Other Markets
Outside of Europe, the company opened its first showroom in the Americas in San José, Costa Rica on March 30 — the first overseas location to offer all three of its brands under one roof.
The lineup includes the Nio ET5 Touring and EL6, the Onvo L60, and the Firefly EV.
The Onvo L90 is expected to begin pre-sales at Costa Rica’s annual EXPOMOVIL Auto Show next week.
Firefly launched in Thailand at the Bangkok International Motor Show in late March, becoming the brand’s second right-hand drive market after Singapore, where it began deliveries in January.
The UK, Australia, and New Zealand are among the confirmed right-hand drive markets to follow.
Nio also opened its first store in Uzbekistan in February, marking the first overseas market for both the ET9 sedan and the Onvo brand.
