Nio already has a vehicle sales and service partner in Azerbaijan, said its president, Qin Lihong, who will also check out the site for Nio's first local Nio House.
Nio (NYSE: NIO) will enter the Azerbaijani automotive market, advancing efforts to expand its international presence.
The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker's co-founder and president, Qin Lihong, revealed the plan in a WeChat video last night, saying he's visiting Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
“We already have a partner in Azerbaijan for vehicle sales and services, and I'm coming over to meet and sign with it,” Qin said.
He will also check out the site of Nio's first Nio House in Azerbaijan, the company's flagship showroom.
Azerbaijan is an important country on the Belt and Road and a transportation hub connecting Russia to the Middle East, Qin said.
“It's very beautiful, very clean, very modern, and I'm confident about what's next for Nio vehicles in terms of sales and service in Azerbaijan,” he said.
Additionally, Qin is representing Nio at the ongoing COP29 (29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) event in Baku.
On November 12, Nio said it would provide premium mobility services for the heads of state and government and guests attending the COP29 event, using the EL8, ET7, and EL6 models. The EL8 is known in China as the ES8, and the EL6 is the ES6.
Qin has been invited to deliver a keynote speech themed Blue Sky Coming: Shaping the Future of Smart EV at Azerbaijan Pavilion of COP29 on November 15.
Nio opened its first overseas Nio House in Norway on October 1, 2021, marking the beginning of its global expansion.
Over the past few years, the company's efforts in overseas markets have been limited to Europe, with some vehicles already available in Norway, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
The company aims to bring its entire service system, including Nio House, battery swap stations, to overseas markets, Nio management said previously.
On October 5 this year, Nio announced the formation of Nio MENA with its largest shareholder, Abu Dhabi government fund CYVN Holdings, a partnership that marks Nio's entry into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market, and the beginning of its foray into overseas markets outside of Europe.
The UAE had been selected as the initial market for Nio MENA, positioning the region as a key player in the deployment of advanced autonomous driving systems and battery replacement technology, according to a previous statement.
Nio hiring senior talent in China to expand Middle East team, report says
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