On November 15, at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, NIO and its partner Green Car signed a strategic cooperation agreement, announcing that they will officially start business in Azerbaijan and provide smart electric vehicle products and services to local users. Zhao Yingmin, head of the Chinese delegation to COP29 and vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Elnur Soltanov, CEO of COP29 and vice minister of the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, Umayra Tagiyeva, vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, Narmin Jarchalova, COO of COP29, Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of NIO, and Rustam Ibrahimov, COO of Green Car, attended the event.
According to the agreement, Green Car will become NIO's national general agent in Azerbaijan, serving local users through direct sales. Under the guidance of NIO's full system standards, Green Car will operate around products, services, and communities in the local area, and will be responsible for investing in the construction of NIO's local charging and swapping stations, service centers, NIO centers and other sales and service networks; NIO will develop and authorize Green Car to use NIO's official website in Azerbaijan, mobile applications and other digital products to ensure the consistency of NIO's global user experience.
NIO will officially start product delivery in Azerbaijan in the second quarter of 2025, providing NIO's full system services to users in the Caucasus region.
Founded in 2014, Green Car is a pioneer in Azerbaijan's green travel industry, focusing on promoting and integrating electric vehicles and sustainable transportation solutions, promoting the construction of new energy infrastructure and changes in travel modes, and promoting a cleaner and more sustainable future.
Lihong Qin, co-founder and president of NIO, said: "Azerbaijan is promoting green transformation and sustainable development. The new energy vehicle industry has broad prospects. NIO is willing to participate deeply in it, contribute to the popularization of new energy vehicles in the local area, and accelerate the globalization process of the company. Our partner Green Car has deep roots in the local market and has rich resources. It will help us grow our business in Azerbaijan and provide local users with leading technology and experience smart electric vehicle products and services"
Rustam Ibrahimov, COO of Green Car, said: "The global automotive industry is undergoing an exciting transformation. As a global smart electric vehicle company, NIO is impressive in the fields of core technology innovation and user experience innovation. Green Car and NIO have a highly consistent sustainable vision. We look forward to jointly promoting the electrification transformation of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region through cooperation between the two sides"
On the day of signing, NIO co-founder and president Qin Lihong attended the COP29 Azerbaijan Forum "Welcome to the Clear Sky: The Future of Smart Electric Vehicles" and delivered a speech, introducing NIO's full-system innovation and ESG actions around technology, products, services, and communities. As the designated car brand for COP29 VIPs, NIO provided three models, including NIO ES8, ET7, and ES6, to this conference, and provided commuting services for heads of state and VIPs during the conference.
Since its establishment, NIO has started its global R&D layout, and entered the European market in 2021, starting the globalization of the market. As of November 15, 2024, 6 mass-produced models including EL8 (ES8 in the Chinese market), ET7, EL7 (ES7 in the Chinese market), ET5, ET5T, and EL6 (ES6 in the Chinese market) have entered the markets of five European countries including Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark; NIO has deployed 58 battery swap stations in Europe, connected to more than 600,000 third-party charging piles, and built 8 NIO centers, 10 NIO spaces, and 65 NIO service centers. In October 2024, NIO announced that it will officially start business in the Middle East and North Africa, and plans to enter the UAE market in the fourth quarter of this year.
The signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between NIO and Green Car further expands the company's global footprint. NIO will continue to promote the research and development and innovation of core technologies, serve users in more countries and regions, help the global sustainable development vision, and protect the clear sky.