(Source: Nio)
Rumors that have been going on for nearly a year have finally come true, as Chinese electric car company Nio has officially announced that it will enter overseas markets, with Norway as its first stop.
Nio announced Thursday that the company's flagship SUV, the ES8, will be the first model to be exported to Norway, with deliveries starting in September.
(Nio ES8. Source: CnEVPost)
The ET7, the company's flagship sedan that has yet to begin deliveries in China, will be exported to Norway in 2022.
(Nio ET7. Source: CnEVPost)
The Nio ES6 and EC6, the company's less expensive SUVs, are not on the first available list, although the company said they will also be exported to Norway in the future.
Nio will establish its sales and service network directly in Norway, and the first Nio House outside of China will open in the third quarter at Karl Johans Gate, Oslo's business and cultural center.
Nio Norway's first service and delivery center in Oslo will be opened in September.
In 2022, four Nio Spaces will open in Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Kristansand, Nio said, adding its aftersales service network will expand nationwide.
"Nio will bring its joyful lifestyle to local users by building a community starting with vehicles. We will all share joy and grow together," said Marius Hayler, general manager of Nio Norway.
To offer users a premium service experience in Norway, Nio will provide mobile service and car pickup-and-delivery services, the company said.
Nio will establish its own charging network in Norway. In addition, its signature battery swap system will also be introduced in Norway.
Nio intends to establish a charging map for Europe and introduce its first four battery swap stations. In 2022, Nio will build 12 extra battery swap stations in five cities in Norway, it said.
The Nio app for Europe, a key part of the Nio user community, will go live in the third quarter of this year.
Nio Life, the company's lifestyle brand, will also make its debut in Norway by announcing the collaboration with two Norwegian artists, Anette Moi and Sandra Blikas, and launching its first Norway Collection in Norway and China.