The Chinese carmaker Nio dares to make the leap to Europe. In September the first Nio House opens in Norway’s capital Oslo. From the end of next year, the electric vehicles will also convince German drivers.
In September, the Chinese automaker Nio will open its first branch in Europe. In a prime location near the Norwegian Royal Palace. The area is to become a meeting place for Nio fans from all over Europe and at the same time function as a retreat and discussion forum.
This is entirely in the spirit of the Nio founder William Li, who sees the commonality concept as an elementary component of his company. The Nio customers can even communicate with him directly via the app and formulate their wishes and suggestions. Li takes time every day to personally respond to inquiries. “The companies that listen are successful,” said Vice President of the Nio Group, Hui Zhang.
Sedan Nio ET 7 makes the start
The fully electric SUV ES8 will be the first vehicle to be launched. After the start of sales in Norway, a first wave of other countries will follow in the fourth quarter of next year. In addition to Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland, Germany is also to be accepted into the Nio community. The spearhead of the models is the Nio ET 7 sedan, which has already completed its first test drives and is due to be delivered to customers in China at the end of this year.
The 5.09 meter long electric car costs 448,000 RMB (56,000 euros) without and 378,000 RMB with a monthly battery rental in China and is adjusted for Europe. For example, there will be a European version of the Nomi voice assistant. The ET 7 is preferred to an SUV because it offers the latest technology. “You only have one opportunity to make a first impression,” says European boss Oliver Schwarz.
Nio relies on customer service
This is especially important in countries like Germany. After all, Nio sees itself as a premium brand and wants to poach Audi, BMW and Mercedes customers. In order to assert itself against the well-known competition from Germany, the Chinese car manufacturer relies entirely on customer service. It starts with the loading.
Nio wants to bring both exchangeable battery technology and classic 180 kW fast chargers to Germany. There are already 470 such exchange stations in China, which now accommodate 13 replacement battery modules and only require the space of four parking spaces. The Chinese government has marked the technology as important. The car manufacturers Geely and Saic are now also using this technology. By the way, maneuvering to the changing port will no longer be necessary in the future; the car will do this automatically at the push of a button. If that is too much of a hassle for you, you can order a kind of valet service that takes care of changing the modules and returns the car to the owner.
The service for the Nio customer doesn’t stop there. So that younger drivers can also afford a Nio, the car manufacturer offers leasing offers for the batteries, which are handled by its own subsidiary Weineng Battery Asset. This business model is based on the idea of ”Battery as a Service” (BaaS), with which you can drive a car with a small battery pack every day and, if necessary – for a longer vacation trip, for example – order a larger battery. The purchase price for a Nio automobile is reduced by around 9,000 euros. Without the expensive but also aging battery, the residual value of the car is also increased. Furthermore, the Chinese car manufacturer has the material cycle in its own hands.
Car manufacturer is looking for cooperation partners in Germany
Those who prefer to take the charging cable into their own hands should also be able to do so in Europe. The Chinese are watching the scramble over the charging stations very closely and want to team up with “a strong partner”. That is why Nio is cooperating with Plugsurfing in Norway, giving customers access to 20,000 charging points. The aim is to create a comfortable charging experience. So with a roof and brightly lit, not in the farthest corner of the parking lot, as is currently the case with some charging stations. Those responsible for the NIO have not yet revealed which company they will be working with in Germany.
See in the video: It looks like a car from the future. At the end of 2021, the US company Aptera plans to bring the “Sol” electric car onto the US market. The special thing about the futuristic design is that the vehicle’s battery can be charged by the sun.
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