Chinese premium EV maker NIO announced plans to enter Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Costa Rica in 2025 and 2026, further expanding its global footprint and bringing innovative, sustainable, premium smart electric vehicles to local users.
In Singapore, NIO will partner with Wearnes Automotive, a leading luxury automotive retailer in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1906, Wearnes represents and retails multiple premium and luxury marques, with deep expertise in brand building and delivering high-end experiences. Starting in 2026, the two parties will introduce its small, smart high-end EV, firefly in Singapore, marking the launch of NIO’s first-ever right-hand drive model.
In Costa Rica, NIO will partner with Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad, the country’s largest electric vehicle distributor. Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad has a proven track record of building Chinese automotive brands to achieve market leaders in Costa Rica. This partnership marks NIO’s first venture into the Americas.
In Uzbekistan, NIO will partner with Abu Sahiy Motors, a leading local group with strong market foundations, a broad presence across logistics, real estate, and automotive sales and services, and a forward-looking vision of the industry. This marks NIO’s first step into the Central Asian automotive market.
“To accelerate our entry into diverse global markets, NIO is partnering with experienced players who have deep local expertise and extensive distributor networks. They will help us introduce our high-quality smart electric vehicles to new markets more efficiently,” said Chris Chen, Head of Global Business Development at NIO.
The initial offering in these new markets will feature representative models from NIO, ONVO, and firefly.
• Costa Rica: NIO EL8 (ES8 in China), EL6 (ES6 in China), ET5 Touring (ET5T in China), ONVO L60, and firefly.
• Uzbekistan: NIO EL8 (ES8 in China), EL6 (ES6 in China), ET5, ET5 Touring (ET5T in China), and ONVO L60.
• Singapore: the right-hand drive version of firefly.
Consistent with NIO’s vision of building itself into a user enterprise, the international expansion via distribution partners reflects NIO’s unwavering commitment to its user enterprise philosophy.
“NIO is highly selective in choosing partners, ensuring that their values align with our own,” Chen added. “Through shared vision, joint efforts, and mutual commitment to high standards, we aim to deliver experiences tailored to local users.”
Since the beginning of 2025, NIO has announced partnerships with multiple country general distributors to steadily expand its global reach. With continuous innovation in both technology and user experience, NIO is committed to delivering products and services beyond expectations, bringing smart electric vehicles to more users worldwide, and advancing its mission of Blue Sky Coming towards a more sustainable and brighter future.
