Sales of new Nio vehicles across the five European markets where the Chinese EV maker currently operates rose slightly to 58 units in May, up from 52 in April, according to official national registration data and figures from data platform EU-EVs.
Nio is currently active in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
When compared to May 2024, sales plunged over 35% across all markets despite growing EV market share in all five countries.
The Shanghai-based company first entered Europe via Norway in September 2021 and expanded to four additional markets in 2022.
In May, Nio sold 29 vehicles in Norway (-56% year over year), 22 in Germany (-37%), 5 in the Netherlands (-75%), 2 in Sweden (-89%) and none in Denmark.
Earlier this week, Nio announced plans to enter seven new European markets over the next 18 months, bringing its regional footprint to 12 countries by the end of 2026.
The expansion will include both its premium Nio brand and the mass-market Firefly brand and mark the first time that the Group adopts the dealership business model, allowing a faster expansion with much lower fixed costs.
Sales are scheduled to begin in Austria, Hungary, Belgium, and Luxembourg later this year. Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania are expected to follow in 2026.
Hedin Mobility Group, Nio’s distribution partner in Belgium and Luxembourg, said sales in Belgium will begin in September, while operations in Luxembourg will start in 2026.
Onvo, Nio’s family-focused sub-brand launched in China in 2024, is not currently planned for European rollout.
To boost adoption of its existing inventory in Europe — composed primarily of 2023 models — Nio began offering two years of free charging via its battery swap program in February.
Under the Battery as a Service (BaaS) model, customers lease the vehicle’s battery instead of purchasing it outright, gaining access to the 60 battery swap stations opened since 2o21.
The company announced in April Firefly’s launch in the Netherlands and Norway this year, as part of the plan to enter 16 countries across five continents in 2025.
In Norway, orders are expected to open in the third quarter, with test drives available this summer and deliveries beginning in the fall.
In the Netherlands, orders are already open with pricing starting at €29,900 ($33,970), and test drives are scheduled to begin in the summer.
As of the time of writing, Nio shares were down 0.4% at $3.60.
