China's NIO targets Norway as entry point into Euro EV market

By CARSIFU | 6 May 2021


OSLO: Chinese premium EV maker NIO has chosen Norway as its first entry point into the European market.

The ES8, the flagship smart electric SUV with an electric range of around 500km(WLTP), is the first model NIO is offering in Europe. NIO's all-electric smart sedan ET7 will follow in 2022. Pre-orders for the ES8 will be available from July, with deliveries starting from September.

The company also plans to set up its entire product and service portfolio in Europe - including the innovative NIO Power Swap technology, which enables vehicle batteries to be automatically replaced within three minutes.

The first four stations are scheduled to go into operation before the end of 2021. More swap stations will be added in 2022, creating initially a power network in five cities in Norway.



In addition, NIO will also build its own Supercharger network in EV-friendly Norway. With NIO Power Home, a charging solution developed for the home will be added to the offering, giving NIO users in Norway a unique charging experience.

Cars will be sold online via the NIO app, and digital channels such as the website nio.com.

For offline distribution, NIO relies on its own network of lifestyle locations. NIO said it would open a 2000 square metre NIO House in the centre of Oslo in the summer. It will be a special meeting place for NIO users and fans of the brand, with different experience spaces (including gastronomy, children's playground, conference rooms).

In 2022, four more NIO Spaces would be added in Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and Kristansand.



NIO also said it would also introduce a Blue Point Plan to encourage users to reduce emissions. This will make NIO the first car company in the world to help users certify carbon emission reductions and trade carbon credits.
"From the beginning, we have been a company with a global focus," said NIO CEO and founder William Li.

"We have been operating our design centre in Munich since 2015, we have a performance team in Oxford, and we have our software team in San José in Silicon Valley. We now employ more than 9000 people from 45 countries. We were the first to enter the market in China. Now it's about introducing our brand and our products in Europe."



NioET7

NioCentre

Keywords