Shanghai-based electric vehicle maker Nio recorded its highest monthly registrations in Germany in over a year in July, though year-to-date volumes remain significantly below last year’s levels.

According to data released by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), Nio registered 47 vehicles in July, up from 16 in June and 46.9% higher than the 32 units recorded in July 2024.

The rebound in vehicle registrations follows the introduction of new incentives earlier in the month for its two entry-level models in the country and a previous flexible subscription campaign announced in June.

The last time Nio registered more than 47 vehicles in Germany was in April 2024, when 52 units were recorded.

The company has not yet disclosed when the first test drives and deliveries of the Firefly sub-brand will begin. Deliveries of the compact EV model will kick off in Europe on August 14 starting with Norway and the Netherlands.

Despite the rebound, the company’s year-to-date registrations remain down 36.8% compared to the same period in 2024.

Nio sold 64 vehicles in Germany in the first quarter and 57 in the second, bringing total first-half sales in 2025 to 121 units.

In 2024, the company registered 398 vehicles in the country — already a steep 68.5% drop from the 1,263 units sold in 2023.

Germany’s broader automotive market saw 264,802 new vehicle registrations in July. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 48,614 units, representing 18.4% of the total and a 58% increase from July 2024.

Hybrid vehicles, including plug-in models, reached 102,369 registrations — 38.7% of the market — meaning nearly two in every five new vehicles sold in Germany last month were hybrids.

Nio began offering 0% financing in early July for its ET5 and ET5 Touring models, with the promotion available through the end of August.

The offer applies exclusively to existing inventory vehicles, as the brand continues to clear stock across its five European markets.

In January, David Sultzer, Nio’s head of operations in Germany, said the company was prioritising corporate sales, telling local media that “Fleets are an important topic” and that Nio was “in talks with large fleet operators.”

In late June, Nio introduced another offer in Germany allowing customers to return their vehicle after six months without penalty, as it seeks to increase demand and clear inventory.

BYD saw its sales soar 390% year over year to 1,126 units in July despite the sequential drop from June while Tesla sales more than halved to 1,110 vehicles.

XPeng registered 266 vehicles (up from 240 in June) and the US EV maker Lucid Motors recorded 46 units, a new 9-month high for the brand.

In Europe, Nio currently operates in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. The brand has recently debuted in Belgium — one of the more than a dozen new European markets it will enter over the next 18 months.

The Shanghai-based carmaker began its European expansion in Norway in 2021 and entered four additional markets in 2022.

Over the next 18 months, both Nio and Firefly brands will arrive in over a dozen new markets.