Nio began deliveries of the new ES8 — known locally as the EL8 — in Europe, after launching the electric SUV there three months ago.

Nio (NYSE: NIO) has started deliveries of the new ES8 based on the NT 2.0 platform in Europe, after launching the electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) there three months ago.

On September 16, the Nio ES8 — known in Europe as the EL8 — was delivered to its first local customers, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker announced today.

“We warmly welcome more friends to join the Nio family and embark on a new journey, shaping a sustainable and brighter future together,” the company said in a brief statement.

Nio unveiled its plans to enter Norway in May 2021 and began delivering the ES8 based on the NT 1.0 platform at the end of September of the same year. It then expanded its presence in Europe to four additional countries.

The Chinese EV maker launched the new ES8 in China at Nio Day 2022 on December 24, 2022, a model that marks the transition to the NT 2.0 platform for its first production car, with the addition of LiDAR on the roof.

On February 22 of this year, Nio launched 2024 models in China, and the ES8 received improvements including a cockpit chip upgrade, with little change to the exterior.

On June 13, the updated ES8 went on sale in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark, marking the sixth model Nio has launched in Europe since entering the European market.

Due to a lawsuit with Audi, the ES lineup was renamed the EL lineup in Europe, where the ES8 is known as the EL8.

Since entering the European market in 2021, Nio has also launched the ET7, EL7, ET5, ET5T, and ES6 there.

The start of deliveries of the new ES8 in Europe comes at a time when Europe is imposing additional tariffs on EVs from China.

On June 12, the European Commission announced that it would impose provisional countervailing duties on EVs from China starting July 4. These new tariffs are based on the current 10 percent levy.

Different car companies face different tariffs, and Nio, as a company cooperating with the investigation, faced an additional 21 percent weighted average tariff in the initial decision.

Nio later said that said it strongly opposed the additional European tariffs and emphasized that its commitment to Europe remained unchanged.

On August 20, the EU announced new proposed tariffs on EVs from China, with companies cooperating with the investigation facing a 20.8 percent rate, except for those specifically mentioned.

Nio has been continuing to push its infrastructure in Europe over the past two months, adding 12 battery swap stations there since July, according to CnEVPost’s monitoring.

As of today, Nio has 56 battery swap stations in Europe, including 19 in Norway, 18 in Germany and 10 in the Netherlands.

Nio says its commitment to Europe remains unwavering despite protectionism

Nio’s power facilities overseas