Nio prepares entry in Norway

Nio, the Chinese carmaker, is preparing to enter the Norwegian market. Beginning in September, the ES8 SUV, home chargers and superchargers will be available to Norwegian customers and the first four battery swap stations will follow before the end of the year.

Nio unveiled its first electric car the day the company was founded in 2014. The EP9 sports car was followed by a series of electric SUVs, the ES6, ES8 and EC6.

In May this year, Nio announced plans to expand outside of China, starting in Norway. Meanwhile, the ES8 SUV (pictured on top) has been given the green light for sale in Europe. From August, a series of ES8s should be available for test drives in the Scandinavian country.

The ES8 is a large SUV that is aimed at the premium market. It will have a range between 400km and 500km (WLTP). Nio will follow a direct sales model in which customers order their vehicle online. Servicing will be carried out in Nio service centres.

Ahead of this vehicle sale start, a shipment of Nio chargers have begun their journey to Norway. The company expects them to be available for consumers by September, at the same time as the first vehicle deliveries.

The chargers have been modified to meet European standards, fitting them with the European standard charging gun, a maximum power of 180kW and a maximum current of 250 amps.

Later this year, the first battery swap stations will also be operational. Following the launch in Norway, Nio plans to move into more European markets.

Photo: Nio ES8 (copyright: Nio)