NIO, the Chinese EV brand with battery swap tech to arrive in Singapore

Wearnes Automotive announced that they will be the authorised dealership for the SGX-listed EV carmaker

Singapore – Wearnes Automotive has announced that they have inked a partnership with Chinese EV brand, NIO.

NIO, which was established ten years ago, has R&D centres and manufacturing facilities in over 10 locations, including Shanghai, Munich, Oxford, Budapest, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.

Under their global right-hand drive launch strategy, Singapore was chosen as the first market in Southeast Asia, by the Shanghai-based premium EV carmaker to launch the RHD version of the NIO Firefly. The lifestyle hatchback will be expected to hit the showroom in the first quarter of 2026.

Wearnes Automotive and NIO will also evaluate the possibilities of implementing the latter’s innovative battery swap technology – an automated process which is capable of changing out a spent EV battery for a new one in less than four minutes. Also in evaluation is the NIO House concept, which will further enrich the premium ownership experience.

“While many EV brands have entered markets hoping that things will simply fall into place, NIO’s approach is fundamentally different,” said Mr. Andre Roy, CEO of Wearnes Automotive. “They are methodical, long-term oriented and focused on doing things the right way—from the product to the infrastructure, to the entire ownership journey. With the right-hand drive models now made available, we are pleased to embark on this new chapter as NIO debuts in Singapore.”