Update: ‘Nio ET5’ section updated with production information.
The much-awaited Nio Norway launch announced on 6 May 2021 took place on 30 September 2021. The Nio ES8 became the brand’s first model to go on sale in Norway. The Nordic nation is the Chinese automaker’s first export market worldwide, and it plans to expand to more European destinations gradually.
Video Source: YouTube/Nio
Nio ES8
Nio has launched the ES8 in Norway in 75 kWh and 100 kWh battery pack variants. The ES8 standard-range costs NOK 638,900 (USD 64,178) onwards and the ES8 long-range NOK 708,900 (USD 71,209) onwards. Customers can buy the ES8 without the battery and use Nio’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) optionally. In that case, the vehicle’s purchase price reduces by NOK 90,000 (standard-range)/NOK 160,000 (long-range). The BaaS subscription costs NOK 1,399 per month (standard-range)/NOK 1,999 per month (long-range).
The Norwegian-spec SUV employs two motors, one at the front and one at the rear, and these deliver 400 kW and 725 Nm of total torque. The best possible WLTP range of the ES8 is 375 km in the standard-range variant and 500 km in the long-range variant. Regardless of the battery pack option chosen, two seating layout options are available: 2+3+2 and 2+2+2.
FOTA
On January 14, 2022, Nio rolled out its first firmware over-the-air (FOTA) update outside China. Originally, the ES8s delivered in Norway came with Aspen 3.0.0, a firmware developed exclusively for the country. The FOTA update swaps it with the newer ‘Aspen 3.0.5 NO’ firmware. The updated firmware brings extended default duration of cabin pre-conditioning, a power assistant, and NOMI Debug to the ES8 in Norway. Cabin pre-conditioning running for a longer duration by default should improve the user experience in winter. Power assistant helps users to find charging stations, and NOMI Debug lets them provide feedback to NIO with a voice note.
| Aspect | Specification |
| Battery Pack Capacity | 75 kWh/100 kWh |
| Range (WLTP) | 375 km/500 km (233 miles/311 miles) |
| Drivetrain Layout | AWD |
| No. of Motors | Two |
| Combined Power | 400 kW |
| Combined Torque | 725 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) Acceleration Time | 4.9 seconds |
| Seating Capacity | 6/7 |
| Boot Volume | 310 L/871 L/1,901 L (6-seater)/310 L/871 L/1,861 L (7-seater) |
Nio ET7
The Nio ET7 that premiered in 2021 could go on sale in Norway as early as later this year. The large electric sedan is an executive/E-segment model that competes with the Tesla Model S and Mercedes EQE and in the future will rival the Audi A6 e-tron and the BMW i5.
The ET7 measures 5,101 mm in length, 1,987 mm in width, and 1,509 mm in height, and it has a 3,060 mm wheelbase. The first model built on the Nio Technology Platform 2.0, the ET7 uses two motors, one at the front and one at the rear, that produce 480 kW and 850 Nm of torque. A 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint takes just 3.8 seconds.
Customers can choose between a 75 kWh standard battery pack and a 100 kWh battery pack right now, and a 150 kWh solid-state battery pack option will become available in about a year. The 75 kWh and 100 kWh battery packs provide a CLTC range of 530 km (329 miles) and 675 km (419 miles), respectively. The 150 kWh solid-state battery pack is claimed to deliver an NEDC range of 1,000 km (621 miles).
Customer deliveries of the Nio ET7 started in China on March 28, 2022. Nio engineers treated buyers with a special reception at the brand’s headquarters in Hefei. They were handed the keys to their EV at the plant. This is a milestone moment for the brand as the ET7 becomes the first electric sedan by Nio to go on sale—the rest of the models are all SUVs. The brand seems to have garnered serious customer interest in the ET7, as test drives have been conducted in over 80 cities in China.
| Aspect | Specification |
| Length/Width/Height | 5,101 mm/1,987 mm/1,509 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,060 mm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Battery Pack Capacity | 75 kWh/100 kWh/150 kWh |
| Range (CLTC/NEDC) | 530 km/675 km/1,000 km (329 miles/419 miles/621 miles) |
| Drivetrain Layout | AWD |
| No. of Motors | Two |
| Combined Power | 480 kW |
| Combined Torque | 850 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) Acceleration Time | 3.8 seconds |
Nio ET5
With Nio looking to expand its footprint in Norway, the brand’s founder and CEO William Bin Li has confirmed that the ET5 will arrive in Norway and other European markets by spring 2023, according to a report CnEVPost published on January 23, 2022. The Nio ET5 sits under the flagship ET7 and it will be the brand’s fifth production model.
Nio has only revealed the exterior of the ET5, which makes it look like a smaller and sportier version of the ET7. We are expecting a high level of similarity for the interior as well. On July 20, 2022, xcar.com.cn reported that the company will reveal the ET5 interior at the 2022 Chengdu Auto Show, scheduled to open on August 26, 2022, and run till September 4, 2022.
The ET5 measures is powered by two motors, a 150 kW induction motor on the front axle, and a 210 kW permanent magnet motor on the rear, both sourced from Nio Power Technology. These produce 360 kW of total power and 700 Nm of total torque.
A 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in the ET5 takes as little as 4.3 s. Brakes with in-house developed 4-piston fixed callipers with aluminium casting bring the electric sedan to a stop from 100 km/h in a distance of 33.9 metres. Nio has planned the ET5 in China with 75 kWh Standard Range, 100 kWh Long Range, and 150 kWh Ultralong Range battery options which provide a range of 550 km (341 miles), 700 km (435 miles), and 1,000 km (621 miles), respectively, as per the company.
Production of the Nio ET5 will take place at a new factory in the NeoPark, a 16,950-acre EV hub in Hefei (Anhui Province), China. Trial production at the plant began on April 29, 2022. On June 9, 2022, Wei Feng, CFO, Nio, said during the company’s Q1 2022 earnings conference call that series production will start in Q3 2022 (July-September 2022).
In China, the ET5 has been available for pre-order since it was announced at the Nio Day 2021, and Chinese deliveries are expected to begin in September 2022. The Nio ET5 would be the big launch here, as it would lock horns with Norway’s new best-selling car – the Tesla Model 3.
| Aspect | Nio ET5 Specification |
| Length/Width/Height | 4,790 mm/1,960 mm/1,499 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,888 mm |
| Front Overhang | 897 mm |
| Rear Overhang | 1,005/1,128 mm |
| Front Track | 1,685 mm |
| Rear Track | 1,685 mm |
| Tires | 245/45R19 or 245/40R20 |
| Approach Angle | 13° |
| Departure Angle | 14° |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Battery Pack Capacity | 75 kWh/100 kWh/150 kWh |
| Range (CLTC) | 550 km/640 km/1,000 km (342 miles/398 miles/621 miles) |
| Drivetrain Layout | AWD |
| No. of Motors | Two |
| Combined Power | 360 kW |
| Combined Torque | 700 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) Acceleration Time | 4.3 seconds |
| Top Speed | 200 km/h |
| Curb Weight | 2,145/2,165/2,180/2,185/2,200 kg |
| Towing capacity | 1,400 kg |
Nio House Oslo
In 2021, Nio opened its first showroom in Norway in Oslo. Located at Karl Johans Gate 33, the national capital’s nucleus of culture and commerce, it’s the largest user centre in Norway, spreading over an area of 2,100 square metres. That’s the place where Nio launched the ES8 in the country. It’s a two-story building having a display area for products and services on the first floor and the NIO Cafe, Library, Forum, Lab, Living Room, and Joy Camp areas on the ground floor. The latter is exclusive to Nio users.
Nio has brought its lifestyle brand Nio Life also to Norway. Together with two local artists, Anette Moi and Sandra Blikas, it has designed the Nio Norway collection for sale in Norway and China.
Nio planned to open four centres in 2022, located in Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Kristansand. The Chinese automaker aims for a nationwide presence from this year. Bin Li said during the company’s Q2 2021 earnings conference call that Nio Norway has a team of 40 employees.
Nio swap stations & chargers in Norway
Norway will get 20 Nio Power Swap Stations by the end of 2022, and the first of them, located in Lier, 30-odd minutes away from Oslo, is operational. With its wide battery-swapping network, Nio plans to connect five major highways and cities for its customers by the year-end. Hayler told TopElectricSUV.com that the Nio Service and Delivery Center in Oslo (in Ensjø) that opened in 2021 will have a swap station.
By the end of 2021, our aim is to build four swap stations in and around the Oslo region to provide users in the Oslo region with an experience where you worry as little as possible about the range. With the swap stations, you can easily travel to your cabin on the weekends without charging. During 2022, our plan is to bring swap station to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Kristiansand. But let me assure you that Nio Power swap stations will also be placed on other locations in Norway.
Marius Hayler, General Manager Norway, Nio, in 2021
Nio Norway customers will get to use the company’s own charging stations and also Plugsurfing charging stations. “We will have a cooperation with Plugsurfing to provide our users with European-wide charging capability through more than 20,000 charging points,” said Hayler.
Nio car service stations
Nio opened its first delivery and service centre in Oslo in 2021. This facility has a floor space of 1,800 square metres, and the company was going to offer a pick-up and delivery service for servicing its EVs here. The company has built up its own professional service team to provide a premium service experience to Nio customers. It will provide a mobile service for the ultimate convenience of maintenance and repairs.
In 2021, our plan is to cover five main cities through our own Nio Service Center and authorized service centers, and in 2022, our network will expand to more cities across Norway.
Marius Hayler, General Manager Norway, Nio, in 2021
Nio Norway launch a crucial step in the global expansion
Though a small country, Norway is a crucial destination for automakers because of its policies. It is seeking to ban ICE vehicles by 2025. Norsk elbilforening (Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association) has said that EVs accounted for 64.5% of new car sales in 2021. No other country in the world has created such a record.
Of the 176,276 new cars sold, which was the highest ever new car registration figure in 35 years, 113,715 units were electric cars. The share of EVs in new car sales grew from 54.3% in 2020 to an astonishing 64.5% in 2021. The Road Traffic Information Council (Opplysningsrådet for veitrafikken) said that if the momentum continues, 500,000 EVs will be plying on Norwegian roads in March.
In total, Nio has five models in its portfolio, and all of them feel suited for the Norwegian market. The ES8, a Tesla Model X rival, is the flagship SUV. Below it is the ES6, a Tesla Model Y opponent, and this model has a coupe version as well – EC6. The ET5 and ET7, as stated before, go up against the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model S, respectively.
Nio to ramp up production
To meet the growing demand when exports begin, Nio has planned to ramp up production, say reports from China. The company has struck a deal with JAC and Jianglai for joint manufacturing of Nio vehicles and related fee arrangements. JAC already produces the ES8, ES6, and EC6, at the JAC-NIO factory in Hefei, China. Jianglai is a JAC-Nio joint venture company for operation management in which Nio holds a 49% stake.
From May 2021 to May 2024, JAC will continue manufacturing the ES8, ES6, EC6, ET7, and also build the ET5, and other new Nio models yet to go on sale. JAC will increase the annual production capacity to 240,000 units. Jianglai will be responsible for parts assembly and operation management. The ET7 started rolling off the production line on March 24, 2022, and customer deliveries have started as well.
Another CnEVPost report has said that Nio plans to sell 50,000 units of the ET7 in 2022, which will be the first year of sales for the new model. This annual sales target, including the European allocation, converts to an average monthly sales target of 4,167 units, which if accomplished, would take away the best-selling Nio model title from the ES6.
Nio global sales
Nio closed 2021 posting a solid year-over-year growth of 109.1%, with a total sales of 91,429 vehicles. The company’s cumulative sales of the ES6, EC6, and ES8 grew to 167,070 units last year. Other highlights for the year were the release of six FOTA updates for the ES6, EC6, and ES8, the installation of 4,582 superchargers and destination chargers, and the opening of 15 Nio Houses and 72 service centers.
In Q1 2022, Nio delivered 25,768 vehicles, recording a year-over-year growth of 28.5% (Q1 2021: 20,060 units). 4,341 of these units were ES8s, 13,620 were ES6s, 7,644 were EC6s, and only 163 were ET7s. In the months of April and May 2022, the company sold 5,074 and 7,024 vehicles, respectively. The new wave of coronavirus outbreaks in some Chinese regions since the second half of March 2022 impacted its vehicle production and deliveries. Nio has 381 Nio Houses and Nio Spaces in 152 cities. There are 247 new service centers and delivery centers in 149 cities worldwide.
In Q2 2022, Nio delivered 25,059 vehicles and registered a 14.4% year-over-year growth. Its cumulative sales reached 217,897 units at the end of June 2022.
Nio Norway sales
Nio completed deliveries of the first batch of ES8 in Norway on the launch day. It didn’t release the annual sales figure, but it wasn’t expecting a big volume in 2021. At the Q4 2021 earnings call, Steven Feng, the brand’s CFO mentioned that Nio delivers about 108 units every month in Norway. Despite the figure being relatively modest, it’s a great confidence booster for the company.
The company is initially focusing on brand-building by ensuring high customer satisfaction and a good sales and service network. It has set up a Nio Norway User Advisory Board together with its prospective customers.
While Nio doesn’t expect the sales in Norway to match China, it is observing another statistic there that is better than in its home market. During Nio’s Q3 2021 earnings conference call, Bin Li said that one-fourth or 25% of those who take a test drive are placing an order. “This shows to me that basically, the efficiency is much higher compared with that of here in China,” Bin Li added.
500th Nio sold in Norway
According to an update posted on the Norwegian version of the Nio app, the Chinese EV maker has sold its 500th vehicle in Norway, reported InsideEVs on May 16, 2022. The milestone vehicle was the ES8 Signature Edition handed over to a customer by Marius Hayler. Moreover, electric vehicle sales data tracking website EU-EVs reports that Tesla was the most popular EV maker in Norway with 5061 units sold in Q1 2022, while Nio was a distant 22nd on the list with 245 units sold in Q1 2022, slightly behind rival Xpeng, which sold 272 units. Next year, Nio can catch up to Tesla when it receives shipments of the mid-size models.
Developments from Nio Day 2021
Nio Day is an annual event that takes place in China. Most recently, it took place on 18 December 2021 in Suzhou. Nio unveiled the ET5 midsize sedan at the event, another NT2.0 platform-based model, one that is smaller and more affordable than the ET7. Prices start at CNY 328,000 (USD 48,543) before subsidies or CNY 258,000 (USD 38,183) with BaaS.
It was at Nio Day 2021 that the company announced that it had made 20 changes, including new features and specification improvements, during the preparation for mass production. The ET5 and ET7 are two of the three NT2.0 platform-based models the company plans to put on sale this year in China.
Nio plans to expand its charging network to include 6,000 Power Chargers and 10,000 destination chargers and to have a total of 1,300+ Power Swap stations in China market by December 2022. Globally, the company wants to grow its presence to more than 25 countries and regions worldwide by 2025. This year, it plans to enter Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Clean Parks, an ecosystem co-building plan to support nature reserve protection and establish a clean and low-carbon energy cycle system, was another global announcement during Nio Day 2021.
Nio U.S. launch
A report Global Times published in 2021 provided insight into Nio’s business strategy. Qin Lihong, Director and President, Nio, told the Chinese publication at Auto Shanghai 2021 (April 2021) that the Nio U.S. launch might happen in the mid-to-long-term future. “US car verification standards are different from those of Europe or China, so we need to redevelop our car models to enter the US, which we have no energy to do now as a start-up, but we will do it later,” he said.
According to a report from Yicai (via CnEVPost) from May 2022, Nio could open a vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The company is recruiting people in positions related to vehicle assembly in the U.S., although it has denied commenting on the Nio U.S. plant rumors. A person who has been a part of the plant construction teams for Chinese automakers several times told Yicai that Nio intends to establish a factory in the U.S. It is worth noting that Nio already operates a self-driving R&D center in San Jose (California) and has a software development team there.
Overseas manufacturing campus planning specialists, overseas planning and infrastructure specialists, overseas logistics project managers, and body process specialists for overseas projects are the positions Nio is hiring for. Candidates applying for the overseas manufacturing campus planning specialist position need to possess experience in at least two master plan projects, including no less than one such project executed in the U.S. Plus, they need to have a good idea of U.S. state policies and knowledge of U.S. process planning and master plan principles. The positions suggest Nio could start building EVs in the U.S. out of CKDs or SKDs, but there is no official confirmation.
Featured Image Source: Nio
I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.
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