EV maker Nio has appointed Denmark’s Nic. Christiansen Group to handle the import and sale of its cars in the country, marking a shift from its direct-sales strategy following disappointing results in the Nordic market.
Additionally, the company is launching its Firefly sub-brand in Denmark following the launch in the Netherlands and Norway.
The Shanghai-based brand entered Denmark in October 2022 alongside Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, using its own direct retail network and battery-swapping services to attract premium EV buyers.
However, the company sold only 41 vehicles of its core brand in Denmark in 2023 and five in 2024, according to the registration data platform EU-EVs.
The company operates around 60 battery swap stations across its five European markets, including one in Denmark, located just outside the capital.
In a post on LinkedIn, Casper Mysling, newly appointed Country Manager for Nio and its sister brand Firefly, confirmed the agreement with the local distributor, describing it as a relaunch under a new approach.
“We will relaunch Nio in Denmark with a new strategy and a much more attractive price point than before,” Mysling said on Tuesday.
“These are genuine premium cars that deliver REAL value for money. That’s exactly why they speak directly to my heart,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Nic. Christiansen Group said the addition of Nio and Firefly, its more compact urban sub-brand, is a strategic expansion of its portfolio and will initially be showcased in Copenhagen this autumn, with further showrooms planned in Aarhus and possibly Odense in 2026.
Nio’s shift mirrors similar moves in other European markets where the automaker has adjusted local operations and partnerships to rein in costs and address lower-than-expected sales.
Nio said also this Tuesday that it will enter the Portuguese market later this year. Sales are planned to begin in the final quarter of the year, according to the distributor JAP Group.
The brand was spotted road testing its debut model in Australia earlier this week. However, the expansion to the country is not yet officially confirmed.
Over the next 18 months, both brands will also arrive in Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria besides the already announced Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic.
Last week, Nio co-founder and President Lihong Qin flew to Europe and visited several markets on the old continent. Amid his visit, the executive signed the agreement with the distributor in Denmark.
In May, Nio Group delivered 23,231 vehicles globally, with just 58 units registered across its five European markets — accounting for only 0.25% of total deliveries.
