Smart electric vehicle (EV) firm Nio has unveiled its expansion plans for the years 2025 and 2026, targeting the markets of Uzbekistan, Singapore, and Costa Rica.

The company says the move will broaden Nio's international presence and cater to the growing demand for sustainable and premium EVs among local consumers.

In Singapore, Nio is joining forces with the automotive retailer in the Asia-Pacific region, Wearnes Automotive.  

Wearnes, with a history dating back to 1906, is known for its retailing of luxury automotive brands.

Nio says the collaboration is poised to debut Nio's first right-hand drive model, the small and smart high-end EV, firefly, starting in 2026.

For its entry into the Americas, Nio has collaborated with Costa Rica's EV distributor Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad.

This marks a milestone as Nio's inaugural venture into the Western Hemisphere. Meanwhile, in Central Asia, Nio is set to make inroads into the Uzbek market through a partnership with Abu Sahiy Motors, a local group with interests in automotive, real estate, and logistics.

Nio’s initial offerings in these new markets will include a selection of models from its firefly, Nio, and ONVO ranges, tailored to meet the specific needs of each region.

The model lineup includes the EL6, NIO EL8, ET5, ET5 Touring, ONVO L60, and the firefly, with Singapore exclusively receiving the right-hand drive version of the firefly.

Nio Global Business Development head Chris Chen said: “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.”

Nio's approach to international expansion is in line with its vision of becoming a user-centric enterprise.

Nio is said to have amassed more than 9,900 patents by the end of June this year, and has developed the Nio Full Stack, encompassing 12 technology domains.

The company has research and development centres as well as manufacturing facilities in more than 10 locations.

By July 31, 2025, Nio had reached a significant milestone, delivering a total of 806,731 vehicles.

The same month, location data and technology platform HERE Technologies partnered with Nio's firefly to supply “high-quality” map data and location services.