Shanghai-based electric vehicle maker Nio plans to introduce its Onvo sub-brand in Denmark under the main Nio name, as the company continues to overhaul its business model in the Scandinavian country, the local automotive publication FDM reported on Thursday.
The move follows Nio’s announcement earlier this month that it would switch from a direct-to-consumer model to a traditional dealership approach in Denmark, nearly three years after entering the market and selling less than 50 vehicles.
The report said that since spring 2024, only two employees have remained in the country and just three vehicles have been sold.
“In China, Nio has launched a third brand called Onvo, which will also come to Europe — though its first model likely won’t arrive in Denmark until late 2026,” FDM said.
The magazine added that Onvo vehicles would be sold under the Nio brand name rather than as a distinct marque.
Onvo, a family-oriented sub-brand, was launched by Nio on May 15, 2024, on China’s Family Day. Deliveries of its first model began in September, but demand has been weaker than expected.
The brand had set internal delivery targets of 16,000 units for January 2025 and 20,000 for March.
Actual deliveries fell short, totaling 5,912 units in January, 4,049 in February, and 4,820 in March.
Earlier in June, Nio appointed Danish automotive distributor Nic. Christiansen Group to handle local imports and sales, replacing the company’s direct-sales model used since its launch in Denmark in October 2022.
The company will also bring its newly launched Firefly sub-brand to Denmark following its introduction in the Netherlands and Norway.
Firefly focuses on smaller, urban-oriented EVs and will be presented alongside Nio models at a Copenhagen showroom this autumn. Additional showrooms in Aarhus and potentially Odense are planned for 2026.
Nio initially entered the Danish market with a premium offering centered around online sales, battery-as-a-service subscriptions, and its proprietary battery swap technology. However, the approach failed to gain traction.
According to EU-EVs registration data, Nio sold 41 vehicles in Denmark in 2024 and just five so far in 2025.
The company currently operates about 60 battery swap stations across its five European markets, including one in Denmark located near Copenhagen.
In a LinkedIn earlier this month, Casper Mysling, newly appointed Country Manager for Nio and Firefly in Denmark, described the agreement with Nic. Christiansen Group as a “relaunch with a new strategy and a much more attractive price point.”
“We will relaunch Nio in Denmark with a new strategy and a much more attractive price point than before,” Mysling said, adding, “These are genuine premium cars that deliver real value for money.”
Insurance registrations of Onvo vehicles in China rose 17.9% to 1,450 vehicles between June 16 and 22.
Onvo President Fei Shen said on Monday that the company will begin pre-sales of its L90 model in “early July,” with showroom units arriving at stores across China at the same time.
Nio is targeting monthly deliveries of 25,000 vehicles under its Onvo sub-brand in the fourth quarter of the year, the company’s founder and CEO William Li earlier this month.
