Nio will launch Firefly EV hatchback in European markets in the first half of 2025

Nio unveiled on December 21 in China, during Nio Day, the first EV under the new Firefly brand. The compact electric hatchback is named Firefly, as is the brand itself. Preorders have started in China at 148,800 yuan ($ 20,390). Firefly to enter European market in first half of 2025, Nio's Ceo William Li said 

Nio unveiled on December 21 in China, during Nio Day, the first EV under the new Firefly brand. The compact electric hatchback is named Firefly, as is the brand itself. Firefly is a compact hatchback initially intended for European launch. However, after disappointing Nio brand sales on the Old Continent and incurring additional tariffs, the company decided to launch it first in China. EV’s main exterior design feature is a trio of circle lights with a black hatched grille. It has a short hood and a wide C pillar that seamlessly transitions into a roof. The EV’s turning radius is 4.7 meters, which is suitable for narrow European streets, according to Nio. Despite being a small EV, it has a trunk that holds 92 liters. The maximum trunk capacity is over 1,250 liters. 

Nio’s Ceo, William Li, announced during the Nio Day conference in Guangzhou that the Firefly EV will officially launch in April 2025. “Firefly is smarter than Mini and more mini than Smart,” he said. The pre-sales price of Firefly EV is the same as the current dealer’s price of Mini Cooper in China – 148,800 yuan ($ 20,390, 19,620 €). The 2024 Mini Cooper launched in July in China for 209,800 yuan and after massive discounts in October ended at the current price. Firefly was created by Kris Tomasson, Nio’s Design Vice President. Tomasson is an industrial designer with experience from BMW and Ford. In 2015, he joined the Munich office of NextEV, which later changed its name to Nio. Firefly is Nio’s smallest and cheapest car, which comes with some challenges: It won’t be able to use Nio’s battery swap network of 2,900 stations because its battery pack is smaller than that of Nio and Onvo. Nio also doesn’t build swap stations for Firefly in advance; they will install it “per user’s needs.” The container swap stations are smaller, cheaper, and easier to install, according to Firefly Ceo Daniel Jin. 

Nio didn’t share many details about the Firefly hatchback during the launch conference, which was mainly focused on the Nio ET9 launch. The battery capacity, car dimensions, powertrain, and whether it is RWD or FWD weren’t disclosed. Firefly will rival BYD Dolphin, Zeekr X, and the recently launched Lynk & Co Z20 in China. In Europe, Firefly will compete with Volkswagen ID.3, BMW’s Mini, and Smart #1 from the Mercedes-Benz & Geely joint venture. Nio will launch Firefly electric hatchback in Europe in the first half of next year, Nio’s Ceo William Li confirmed on Sunday. 

Unlike the Onvo or Nio brands, Firefly sales will rely on a third-party dealer’s network. For the Firefly brand, there will be one partner in one country, and it is possible for one partner to be responsible for sales in multiple countries, Li said. In the long term, Nio's main brand and the Onvo sub-brand may also adopt this strategy, Li said. Nio has already signed up several partners in Europe regarding the Firefly brand, who saw the first model in Frankfurt, Germany, in June and gave positive feedback, according to Li.