Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio announced on Thursday that orders for both its main marque and the most recent Firefly sub-brand will “be starting soon” in three new markets.
Nio will begin sales in 20 new countries through local dealerships next year, the founder and CEO William Li said earlier this week during a visit to three European markets by its founders and CFO.
The EV maker, which operates in a direct sales business model in the first European markets it entered, announced earlier this year that it would begin “a new phase of its regional expansion.”
In Europe, these will include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Romania.
Between 2021 and 2022, the company expanded to Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
Austria
Nio held a launch event in Vienna earlier this week, marking the official arrival of the group in the Central European country a month after first going live with the local website.
The brand is partnering with Hungarian group Auto Wallis, which represents not only Nio but several other Chinese automakers across the continent.
XPeng, which is also present in Austria, has recently started its first European production in partnership with Magna Steyr in the country. GAC also manufactures vehicles with Magna in Graz.
Besides the Firefly debut model, which will be introduced in the country with a starting price of €29,990 ($34,500), the brand is introducing Nio‘s two entry-level sedans and the EL6 SUV.
The ET5 is priced from €59,990 in Austria, while the station wagon ET5 Touring begins at €60,990 ($70,100). The entry-level EL6 SUV starts from €64,990 ($74,700).
Nio will not offer its larger and more expensive “7 Series” vehicles — the ET7 sedan and EL7 SUV — in Austria.
The new EL8, for which the third generation was recently launched in China, is not planned to be launched in Europe.
The company is currently dealing with leftover inventory of earlier versions in its first markets on the continent.
Greece
Contrary to Austria, Nio said over the summer that the six-seat EL8 will be available in the Greek market, along with the EL6 SUV and the ET5 and ET5T sedans.
The compact EV hatchback from the newly launched Firefly sub-brand will also be available.
The prices for the vehicles have not yet been unveiled.
The company signed a distribution agreement with the Greek firm Motodynamics Group, which also represents Porsche in the market.
It will handle distribution and after-sales service of the Nio and Firefly brands not only in Greece, but also in upcoming markets Cyprus and Bulgaria.
In August, Nio took the first steps towards entering Greece, with a pop-up store at the Golden Hall shopping mall in Athens.
Other Chinese EV makers in the market include XPeng, BYD and Geely.
Portugal
The five same models will be offered in the Portuguese market, where Nio and Firefly set to debut with the local distributor JAP Group. Pricing has not yet been unveiled.
Founded in 1904, JAP Group represents major automotive brands in Portugal, including BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Renault, Nissan and Hyundai.
It also distributes other Chinese automakers such as Foton and the state-owned GAC.
Other Chinese automakers are represented in the country through dealership agreements with Salvador Caetano, the largest automotive group in the country, including BYD and XPeng.
Regional Management Shift
Last week, EV exclusively reported that Benjamin Steinmetz, a key figure in Nio‘s product experience strategy for international markets, has resigned.
This comes amid significant restructuring of the company’s overseas operations following investment cuts.
The news followed shortly after Nicola Marsala, Nio‘s Southern Europe region chief, also left the company. Italian media reported in 2023 that Marsala had joined Nio as Country Manager during preparations to enter the Italian market.
As Nio continues its expansion in Southern Europe, Sofia Mitraki, formerly Head of Sales at Porsche in Greece, has been appointed Brand Manager for Nio Greece, effective August 1.
Meanwhile, Martin Rieder served as General Manager for Nio Austria from January 2023 until June 2024 — when he left the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
According to AutoWallis, Annelies Reiss is now Nio‘s Regional Brand Director for the group in the market.
European Visit
Nio founders William Li, Qin Lihong and Chief Financial Officer Stanley Qu are touring Europe this week, meeting with local teams and distributors.
During the visit, Nio has introduced a new version of the Firefly model in the continent.
The “Comfort” version introduces “upgraded technologies such as electric, ventilated and massage front seats, a panoramic glass roof, and a power tailgate,” according to the company.
It is available in the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and Denmark, “with deliveries underway.”
Firefly began deliveries in Europe in mid-August, with Norway and the Netherlands first.
According to CEO William Li on Wednesday, while the European expansion has up until now focused on Nio and Firefly, the family-segment Onvo brand will be launching in the Old Continent in 2027.
