Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio said on Tuesday it will expand its European operations into Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Denmark through a distributor-based sales model.
The move is part of a broader strategic shift away from direct sales as the company seeks to accelerate its international growth.
Nio will introduce five models across the new markets, including the EL6 and EL8 SUVs (renamed from ES6 and ES8), the ET5 and ET5 Touring, and the debut model from its Firefly sub-brand.
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025 in Portugal, Greece, and Denmark, followed by Cyprus and Bulgaria in 2026. While Denmark is an existing Nio market, the company will transition to a distributor-led sales model there as well.
The automaker has partnered with several local firms to facilitate market entry. In Denmark, it appointed the Nic Christiansen Group as national distributor, while in Portugal it will work with the JAP Group. Nio’s entry into Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria will be supported by the Motodynamics Group, under an agreement signed with Nio’s Dutch subsidiary.
The expansion follows Nio’s previously announced partnerships in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, and Romania.
After initially entering Europe via a direct-sales model starting with Norway in 2021, Nio is now leveraging established distributor networks to enhance its reach and localize user experience under its “user enterprise” strategy.