Nio and Maersk will explore cooperation in areas including order management, inventory management, and foreign spare parts and battery storage depots.

(Image credit: Maersk)

Nio (NYSE: NIO) and shipping giant Maersk have signed a partnership agreement to strengthen their collaboration in logistics and supply chain.

The two companies held a signing ceremony today at Nio's office in Shanghai, where Wu Yunfan, head of Maersk's Greater China M&A program, and Lu Jianxiao, head of Nio's service operations, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective companies, according to a press release from the shipping company.

Maersk, a global leader in shipping logistics, helped Nio build a logistics platform in overseas markets and helped it enter local markets quickly, according to Nio's Lu.

Moreover, Maersk's worldwide warehousing and distribution resources also provide strong support for Nio's after-sales service, he said.

Nio hopes to deepen cooperation with Maersk to better adapt to the diversified industry chain layout and provide a better after-sales service experience for the company's global customers, Lu said.

In the past six months, Maersk and Nio have cooperated in the areas of shipping, ground transportation, and customs for after-sales parts and battery swap stations and other large equipment, according to the press release

In the future, the two companies will also explore cooperation including domestic cargo distribution centers, order management, inventory management, and foreign spare parts and battery storage depots, Maersk said.

Maersk has leveraged its digital platform to efficiently manage Nio's large number of supplier orders and improve the visibility of logistics information, the company said.

The latest signing marks a new phase in the cooperation between Nio and Maersk at home and abroad, Maersk's Wu said, adding that the long-term partnership can help Nio build a comprehensive supply chain system globally.

The press release did not provide any more information, though the partnership is expected to help Nio's expansion in the global market. The electric vehicle maker aims to serve customers in more than 25 countries and regions worldwide by 2025.

Nio entered Norway last year, which was its first stop in the global market.

In early July 2021, Nio's first battery swap stations and superchargers were shipped to Norway and arrived in August.

On July 20, 2021, Nio sent the first ES8 vehicles to Norway from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port, which arrived two months later.

In August this year, the company sent vehicles to Europe on three vessels. In early October, Nio introduced the ET7, EL7, and ET5 to European consumers and has already started deliveries of the ET7. The EL7 is known as the ES7 in China.

Notably, in an article late last month, maritime information service platform Xinde Marine News cited unnamed sources as saying that several automakers, including Chery and Nio, were planning to order their own car carriers.

Chery is in multiple contacts about ordering car carriers and may announce the plan soon, the report said, without mentioning anything more about Nio.