Norway is the gateway to Europe for Chinese electric car manufacturers. Brands such as Xpeng and BYD sell all their electrical goods there and the Chinese Nio is the next electric car manufacturer to set foot in Norway.
Electric cars are even more popular in Norway than in the Netherlands. In the first quarter of this year, 53 percent of all cars sold there had a fully electric powertrain, so it is not surprising that several Chinese manufacturers of electric cars use Norway as a testing ground.
Nio ES8
The Nio ES8, an electric SUV presented in China at the end of 2017 and refined last year, is the first car that Nio brings to Norway. The car will be on the market in Norway this year. The ES8 is a 5-meter long SUV that will be available with 70 kWh and 84 kWh battery packs. According to Nio, the ES8 can reach 500 kilometers on a full battery. The order books will open in July. The first copies will be delivered in September.
Nio ET7
In 2022, Nio will expand its Norwegian delivery range with the ET7. The Nio ET7 is an electric sedan with a length of about 5.1 meters that is 13 centimeters longer than a Tesla Model S. In its bottom is a 70 kWh or 100 kWh battery, good for far from accurate NEDC ranges of 500 and 700 kilometers respectively. It will also come on the market with a 150 kWh battery that gives it a NEDC range of at least 1,000 kilometers, according to Nio. The most powerful version of the ET7 has two 684 hp electric motors.
In the third quarter of this year, Nio will open a Nio House in Oslo, a trendy lounge-like showroom with the appearance of a living room. Next year, four smaller outlets will be added. In September, Nio will open its first service point in Oslo, where you can go for delivery and maintenance. Nio offers the possibility to pick up and return your car yourself. Nio also says to come up with battery changing stations. The brand says it will have several exchange stations in Norway at the end of next year and later also says it will build a network of such exchange stations in the rest of Europe – where you can exchange your empty battery for a full one. In the long term, Nio also wants to sink its teeth into the European market. Undoubtedly, given the prevailing EV climate here, the Netherlands will also be high on the list.
As mentioned, Nio is not the only new Chinese EV manufacturer in Europe. For example, MG has been active for a while and besides the already mentioned Xpeng and BYD also have Byton. Seres and Hongqi suffer from European expansion drive. Volvo’s parent company Geely will start selling the Lynk & Co 01 in the Netherlands this year. Furthermore, JAC has settled in our region.