Nio sets sights on NZ

Chinese carmaker Nio has announced it will enter the New Zealand and Australian markets this year as part of its global expansion plans.

The EV company has targeted the second half of 2026 for launching down under and is also set to enter the Thai market in March with its Firefly-branded vehicles.

Chris Chen, Nio’s head of global business, revealed the plans for New Zealand in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

“We started expanding our business globally toward the end of 2024, with a focus on entering more overseas markets beyond Europe,” he told the outlet.

Nio’s first right-hand-drive model was launched under its Firefly brand, which offers small, high-end EVs, at the Singapore Motorshow on January 8. 

Chen notes a key focus for Nio in 2026 and 2027 is to use Firefly to enter more overseas markets, with the UK and France also in its sights, reports the Wall Street Journal.