Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Electric carmaker Nio is in discussions with large fleet operators in Germany, its chief for the German market David Sultzer said, as the company aims for higher sales this year following a disappointing 2024.
Nio registered 31 vehicles in Germany in December, bringing its total sales for 2024 to 398 vehicles, according to data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Registrations dropped 68.5% from the 1,263 units sold in 2023, a decline also driven by the end of EV subsidies after a constitutional court ruling forced Germany to slash €60 billion ($65.36 billion) from its 2024 budget.
As initially reported by the news portal AutoHaus, Nio’s chief for the German market said in a media session that “Fleets are an important topic” adding later that Nio is “in talks with large fleet operators.”
The EV maker announced a partnership with the ride-hailing platform Freenow in July last year, offering better pricing conditions for operators incorporating its ET7 and ET5 sedans into their fleets in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt.
Nio entered the German market in October 2022 with the ET7 and ET5 sedans, positioning itself as a premium EV brand set to rival the German competitors BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.
Fleet Deals in Europe
Rental companies and fleet operators have been a key channel for EV makers looking to scale their European presence. In October 2023, Nio’s U.S.-based rival Lucid Motors signed an agreement with German rental firm Sixt to supply vehicles from its entire Lucid Air lineup, including the Air Pure, Air Touring, and Air Grand Touring variants.
Although the company did not disclose the number of vehicles sold to Sixt, Lucid saw its registrations in Germany spike in October and November to over 100 units for the first time ever. In December, registrations returned to their average and stood at 20 units.
Sixt, one of Europe’s largest car rental firms, has also partnered with China’s BYD in 2022, committing to purchase around 100,000 EVs over the coming years. Similarly, Stellantis NV struck a multi-billion-euro deal in 2023 to supply up to 250,000 vehicles across Europe and North America over three years.
In 2024, battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in Germany have declined by 24.2% to 380,609 units, largely due to the removal of EV incentives at the end of 2023. The market share of BEVs has fallen to 13.5%.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
