Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Shanghai-based electric vehicle maker Nio saw a 56% decline in March sales in Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, as registrations fell to 21 vehicles from 48 a year earlier, according to data released Thursday by KBA.
March deliveries also slipped from 25 units in February. First-quarter sales totaled 64 vehicles, down from 102 in the same period last year. In contrast, overall registrations of battery-electric vehicles in Germany jumped 38.9% between January and March.
The company entered Germany in October 2022. Leadership has since changed hands multiple times. Former Volvo executive Ralph Kranz, who initially led the expansion, was replaced two and a half years later by Marius Hayler, previously Nio’s head in Norway. Hayler left after eight months to join Polestar, and was succeeded by David Sultzer, promoted to country manager in June 2024.
Tesla sales fell 42.5% year over year in March, with 2,229 vehicles registered. A total of 4,935 Tesla EVs were sold in Germany during the first quarter of the year, a 62.2% plunge from the same period of 2024.
On the other hand, Polestar posted a significant year-over-year growth with 357 units sold and a total of 855 in the quarter — up 35.5% growth. XPeng also reached a new record with 176 units in March and a total of 432 vehicles in the first three months of the year.
Last week, German auto outlet Automobilwoche reported that Nio plans to launch its Firefly sub-brand in Germany this fall, marking the European debut of its most affordable model to date.
The compact EV, unveiled in December, targets younger buyers and aims to compete with models such as BMW’s Mini and Smart.
Firefly’s official launch will take place in Shanghai on April 19, where pricing and delivery timelines will be revealed, according to Firefly chief Daniel Jin. The model has been undergoing road testing across Germany and Europe since mid-2024, and was developed at Nio’s Global Design Studio near Munich, led by Vice President of Design Kris Tomasson.
Globally, Nio Group said earlier this week it delivered 15,039 vehicles in March including 10,219 units of the main brand and 4,820 Onvo L60 vehicles.
Onvo’s chief Alan Ai has stepped down on Wednesday after the brand missed its sales target for a second consecutive time. Ai had pledged in November to resign if the goals weren’t met — a commitment he walked back during a media interview in mid-March.
