On April 19, Nio’s new sub-brand, Firefly, rolled out its first model—and it’s borrowing the brand’s name. The compact electric vehicle, available in two trims dubbed Zizai and Faguang, is priced at RMB 119,800 (EUR 14,500) and RMB 125,800 (EUR 15,000), respectively. Deliveries start April 29.
That price tag is a significant drop from the model’s initial presale of RMB 148,800 (EUR 18,000), which had it competing with upmarket compacts like the Mini and Smart. Now, it’s elbowing its way into the value-meets-premium segment at a moment of recalibration for Nio.
Firefly is part of a broader shift at Nio, which is making adjustments to its branding, infrastructure, and pricing strategy. Case in point: the battery-as-a-service (BaaS) program for Firefly won’t launch until August 1. When it does, the vehicle’s upfront cost could dip below RMB 100,000 (EUR 12,000), putting it squarely in the crosshairs of budget-conscious compact EV buyers.
That delay has a technical side. Firefly’s swappable battery packs are incompatible with Nio’s existing first- through fourth-generation swap stations. Instead, they’ll plug into fifth-gen stations, which the company has said it will only build where demand is strong.
Until then, charging will stick to the basics. Firefly drivers will rely on Nio’s network of more than 26,000 proprietary charging piles, along with access to 1.23 million third-party stations across China.
But there’s also a branding play at work. Nio is reportedly weighing a plan to fold Firefly’s operations into its main label. Doing so could protect its broader portfolio from price shock while streamlining sales and distribution.
Despite its smaller frame, Firefly is built with premium intent and global reach. Jin Ge, the executive helming the project, summed up the model’s philosophy with three words: trust, agility, and ingenuity—code for safety, handling, and design.
On safety, Firefly is built to hit dual five-star standards under the China-Euro New Car Assessment (CNCAP) Program. The body is composed of 83.4% high-strength steel and aluminum. It also comes standard with nine airbags and 13 active safety functions—a standout count for its size class. The subtext from Nio? Small doesn’t mean soft.
Performance-wise, it’s no slouch. A rear-mounted motor, five-link rear suspension, and a chassis tuned by automotive engineering firm Multimatic help deliver a sporty ride. The 4.7-meter turning radius means it can whip around tight corners and alleyways with ease.
In terms of design, Firefly doesn’t shy away from flair. Think triple-element headlamps, a glowing rear light ring, and candy-colored capsule details. Inside, there’s a 92-liter front trunk, a 335-liter rear trunk, and up to 1,253 liters of flat cargo space when the rear seats fold down. Nio counted 27 storage compartments in total.
The tech stack is equally dense. With 128 TOPS (tera operations per second) of computing power and 24 sensors, Firefly supports Nio’s navigate-on-pilot (NOP) system, which handles assisted driving on expressways and major roads.
Power comes from a 42.1 kilowatt-hour battery delivering a CLTC-rated 420 kilometers of range, with energy use clocking in at just 10.9 kWh per 100 kilometers.
Nio sees Firefly as a smart fit for new buyers and multi-vehicle households. The pitch: if you already drive a larger EV, here’s a chic, compact second car for city life.
But the ambitions stretch far beyond China’s megacities. Nio estimates the global market for premium compact EVs to be around 15 million units a year, about 17% of the total car market. Over the past two and a half years, Firefly’s development team has been busy studying more than 40 cities across the Netherlands, Italy, the UAE, Thailand, and other key markets.
Firefly will hit Chinese streets first, but the brand has its eyes on Europe and the Middle East next.
This article was written by Li Anqi and originally published on 36Kr.
