Nic. Christiansen Group becomes importer of the Chinese premium brand NIO and its sister brand firefly.

It has been a slow start for NIO in Denmark, having sold just 56 cars in the first 18 months on the Danish market, with only 12 of those sold to private customers. Industry experts at the time stated that NIO had “entered the Danish market on the wrong foot,” with cars that were too expensive and a business model that was too difficult for consumers to understand.

Now, two and a half years after the initial launch, NIO and Nic. Christiansen Group have entered into a new national partnership agreement that aims to unlock the potential of NIO and Firefly in Denmark.

Our Group CEO Niels Vrist Bertelsen with NIO Founder William Li and Co-Founder Lihong Qin.

“We are very pleased with the agreement we’ve now made to import and sell NIO and firefly in Denmark. It aligns perfectly with our strategy to strengthen and expand the business both in terms of volume and diversity, as we can now offer these two innovative brands to the most quality-conscious Danish consumers,” says Group Director Niels Vrist Bertelsen.

Although the beginning has been tough for NIO in Denmark, Niels Vrist Bertelsen is convinced that NIO and firefly – which have not been sold in Europe before – can achieve success together with Nic. Christiansen Group.

“It takes time, enthusiasm, and a solid business engine to establish a new brand on the Danish market. We’ve done it before – 33 years ago with Hyundai, and just three years ago with BYD. We are confident that NCG has the right operating model to succeed with NIO and firefly,” he says.

More attractive in the market

NIO is a Chinese car manufacturer known for designing and developing electric vehicles. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai. Currently, the brand has two showrooms – one in Copenhagen and one in Silkeborg.

However, the two showrooms have not delivered the desired sales. NCG, as the importer, has plans to improve this with a new strategy and new locations, according to Niels Vrist Bertelsen.

“We will go to market with much stronger pricing than before and with a completely different approach. Therefore, we believe we can succeed with NIO and firefly,” he says.

NIO’s cars target consumers who want premium quality combined with top-tier technology, while firefly offers more compact electric cars of high quality and unique design.

“First and foremost, NIO’s cars are of very high quality. They have fantastic design and come with impressive equipment packages. At the same time, we will be able to offer much more competitive prices compared to the current ones, so consumers will get a premium car at a very attractive price,” he says, continuing:

“NIO is a premium product in terms of quality, on par with BMW and Mercedes, but it doesn’t yet have the brand value that European brands have. That’s what we need to start creating.”

The brand has marketed itself with a business model different from well-known brands, where the battery is not included in the car purchase but functions as an additional service. However, Niels Vrist Bertelsen does not expect this model to be part of NIO’s business with NCG.

“The battery swap model has worked in China, but it hasn’t been very successful in Denmark so far. Therefore, we don’t expect that part to be part of our setup,” he says.

Rooted in a development environment

The new brands are anchored together with Omoda & Jaecoo under NCG’s Business Development Director, Morten Ravn Frederiksen. Since all four brands are in the startup phase, they remain part of the business development environment while establishing themselves in the Danish market as part of NCG Distribution.

The new country manager for NIO and firefly will be Casper Mysling, a familiar face within NCG, who has previously been the branch manager at Bayern AutoGroup Odense.

“I’m really excited to bring NIO and firefly to the Danish market. It’s a true premium brand with unique products in the portfolio and several exciting models on the way,” says Casper Mysling.

Nic. Christiansen Group is now working to establish the optimal conditions for the two brands in Denmark.

“We’re currently working on finalizing the details of the import and sales concept, and we expect to launch NIO and firefly in the fall. We’ll draw on our good experiences with BYD, while also supplementing with new and exciting ideas about how to run a car business in the future,” says Casper Mysling.

The expectation is that NIO and firefly will be available in a shared showroom in Copenhagen from the fall, with plans to open another showroom in Aarhus and possibly in Odense by 2026.