Firefly first model Nio's third brand will be launched in Europe in the second half of 2025

Firefly's first model will be launched in China in the first half of 2025, with a launch in Europe likely a quarter later, Daniel Jin, president of the Nio sub-brand, said in an interview with local media. The recently launched Renault 5 and the future Volkswagen ID.2 could be the Firefly's main competitors, he said 

Nio will officially launch the Firefly brand at the Nio Day 2024 event on December 21, when the sub-brand's first model -- with the same name as the brand -- will also be unveiled. Firefly's first model will be launched in China in the first half of 2025, with a launch in Europe likely a quarter later, Daniel Jin, president of the Nio sub-brand, said in an interview with local media outlet 36kr, according to the text of the interview released today. 

From day one, Firefly is positioned globally with a focus on Europe and China, and then a balance of other markets, Jin said in the interview, adding that a small car is the most universal globally. Prior to the additional tariffs in Europe, the Firefly model will be priced competitively in Europe, after the additional tariffs of more than 20 percent, the model's competitiveness will be affected a bit, but overall, it remains competitive in Europe, said Jin. 

In China, Firefly is positioned as a smart, high-end boutique small car. In Europe, where small cars are mainstream and the market space is 4 million units per year, demand is very high, Jin said. There are some traditional small fuel cars priced slightly more than 10,000 euros in Europe, but they are not the potential rivals that Firefly is targeting. The recently launched Renault 5 and the future Volkswagen ID.2 could be the Firefly's main competitors, Jin said. Firefly will have different chassis tuning styles for Chinese and European consumers. A lot of effort has been put into tuning the chassis of Firefly, and that work is being done in the UK, according to Jin. 

After the launch in Europe, the company will adapt the Firefly model for launch in other markets. The company does not rule out the possibility of launching the Firefly model in Southeast Asia and Latin America, but it will not enter the US market for the time being. The Firefly model will also support battery swap, but won't share battery swap stations with the Nio and Onvo brands due to smaller batteries, Jin said, repeating earlier statements by Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li. The sub-brand will have its own separate battery swap stations, but will not build that infrastructure in advance, and instead deploy it based on user demand.