Heard of Nio? If you're not au fait with automakers outside of the US, then you might not know of the Chinese EV automaker, but that's about to change. As reported by Electrek, Nio's Vice President, Saurabh Bhatnagar, has posted no fewer than 47 job posts on the business networking site, LinkedIn, all listed within the USA. Since breaking into the headlines with the Nio EP9 electric supercar a few years back, the automaker has been steadily enhancing its reach within China and the rest of Asia. In 2021 alone, the company delivered in excess of 80,940 vehicles, but also broke out of Asia by launching in Norway, Germany, and The Netherlands. The job listings in the USA follow the recent launch of the Nio ET5 electric sedan, with which the brand could easily rival the Tesla Model 3.

At the Nio Day event where the ET5 was revealed, Nio declared its intentions to expand to 25 regions around the world by 2025. This fits in with the company's previous desire to enter Western Europe with a strong presence, but the US had not officially been confirmed for an imminent market launch. However, a map displayed in the Nio Day presentation highights Australia, New Zealand, and, crucially, the USA.

Of the job postings, 46 are located in San Jose, California, and include positions such as Head of Power Strategy, Head of Architecture and Design, Motion Control Expert, Autonomous Driving Security Researcher, and Safety Standards & Compliance Leadership Engineer. The breadth of available positions suggests genuine development roles within the organization, in stark contrast to the fly-by-night antics we've seen from many EV startups as of late. One position is advertised in Seattle for a Motion Control Expert, while two - Principal Software Security Architect and Principal OS Security Architect - are remote positions.

Nio has previously foreshadowed market launches with such recruiting adverts, advertising in Germany and The Netherlands before confirming these market launches. This indicates that the US market launch of the brand is imminent.

The ET5 will be a crucial model in the fight against Tesla and other EV automakers, but with a range of up to 621 miles and a luxurious interior, as well as advanced semi-autonomous technologies, it looks like it could have a strong chance. Other models sold by the automaker include the EC6, ES6, and ES8 crossovers, which will be vital weapons in the arsenal if the manufacturer is to make a strong entry into the US market.

The biggest challenge will be trying to steal sales from Tesla, while also fending off the advances of established marques in the country like VW, Chevrolet, and Ford, all of whom have invested heavily in the electrification of their lineups.