To differentiate, we’ll refer to the brand as “Firefly” and the model as “Firefly EV” – officially, the brand and model have the same name. The Firefly EV is priced at 148,800 yuan, or around 19,580 euros, in pre-sale starting now. However, Nio has not yet clarified whether this includes a battery or whether the monthly battery rental fee will be added to the purchase price.

The Firefly EV has a battery swap system as usual on the Nio. However, the company did not provide any technical data about the drive system of the new compact electric car for its premiere on Nio Day 2024. Therefore, it is unclear exactly how big the batteries will be. The only thing that’s clear is that these are not the familiar 75 and 100 kWh battery packs from Nio and Onvo – these are quite large in terms of their dimensions. It has also been confirmed that the Firefly will have an “exclusive” network of non-Nio/Onvo compatible battery exchange stations. But as we mentioned, there are no details yet.

The main thing we have to see about the Firefly EV is its design and the few dimensions that Nio has confirmed. Lights characterize the Firefly EV’s appearance: three round lights arranged in a triangle on each side, front and rear. For some, it brings back memories of the Honda e, which also used the same lighting design at the front and rear. However, with its very independent interpretation of this idea, the Firefly EV does not feel like a copy.

However, in one respect, the first Firefly is said to be similar to the now-discontinued Honda e: the turning circle should be very small. Nio talks about a turning radius (not turning circle) of 4.7 metres, which would also make the Firefly EV suitable for European markets. In the original plans, the model was supposed to be launched in Europe first and then in China later. However, due to slowing demand (particularly from Nio in Europe) and special tariffs that have now been imposed, the Firefly EV will now go on sale in China starting in April. The European launch is scheduled to take place shortly afterwards, but in the first half of 2025.

With its purely electric platform, the Firefly EV should also offer good space economy. Nio claims a boot volume of 1,250 liters (with the rear seat backrests folded down). A 92-litre trunk was placed under the hood. However, there are no photos of the passenger cabin yet.

However, there is information about the planned sales model: Firefly will be distributed via already existing Nio structures, while a separate sales organization will be created for the Onvo brand. Reports have drawn similarities between Nio, Firefly, BMW and Mini. However, this only applies to China. As stated by Nio CEO William Lee, sales are planned via retail partners in Europe. In contrast to the Nio brand’s direct sales model in Europe, the Firefly brand will rely on local partner outlets, according to Lee. One partner can also be responsible for multiple countries. Lee has not yet named any potential partners.

At 148,800 yuan, the Firefly EV is the company’s cheapest model and the same price as the Mini I just mentioned, but it still doesn’t qualify for a price break by Chinese standards. Xpeng’s Mona M03 is available for 119,800 yuan – but it’s an electric saloon measuring approximately 4.80 meters long, not a compact car. Prices for Europe are not yet known, but are likely to be much higher than around €20,000 in China due to customs duties and transportation costs.

Nio also launched its flagship model ET9, which was introduced about a year ago, in the Chinese market. The 900V saloon with a battery starts at prices from 788,000 yuan (about 104,000 euros), with deliveries scheduled to begin in March 2025. With the battery-as-a-service model for Nio exchange stations, the ET9 is available from 660,000 yuan (about 64,850 euros), but after that Add ongoing battery costs.

There is also the ‘First Edition’ of the 5.33 meter long electric saloon, production limited to 999 units. This variant stands out from the standard model with several upgrades inside. At 690,000 or 818,000 yuan, including battery, the “First Edition” is 30,000 yuan (about 3,950 euros) more expensive.

nio.com (media release), cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com (both Firefly), cnevpost.com (European Firefly launch), carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com (both Nio ET9)

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Spy shots of the Nio Firefly prototype over the past few months have been largely about the front and rear, and now a new high-resolution spy shot shows its side for the first time.

CnEVPost has shared some spy shots of the first model of Nio’s (NYSE: NIO) third brand, the Firefly, over the past few months, but they’ve mainly been from the front and back.

Now, a new high-resolution spy photo shows the side of the model for the first time.

Car blogger @电动星球小新 shared the image on Weibo today, noting that there have been a lot of spy shots of the Firefly model recently, as it is set to make its official debut next month.

“Nio has previously invited some media outlets to see the car. The exterior is said to be bolder than current models on the market, with a very distinctive front and rear fascia, and the overall car size is somewhere between the Mini and (Volkswagen) ID.3.

“This reminds me of a great netizen comment: Mini is more than Smart, smarter than Mini,” the blogger added, suggesting that the first model Firefly will have a better level of intelligence than Mini cars.

Nio announced on November 20 that its third brand, internally codenamed Firefly, has been officially named Firefly and its first product will carry the same name as the sub-brand.

Nio said at the time that the Firefly brand would be officially launched on Nio Day 2024 on December 21, with its first model being delivered in the first half of 2025.

Firefly’s approach to naming its first model after a brand takes a page from BMW’s Mini sub-brand, as well as the Geely and Mercedes-Benz Smart joint venture, the latter of which named their first models after the two brands.

Nio will enter a new product cycle starting next year, with new deliveries under the Onvo and Firefly brands, and the company will enter a faster growth phase, company management said in an earnings call on November 20.

As for Nio’s efforts to expand into global markets, Onvo and Firefly will take on a larger role, according to its earnings call.

Onvo, previously codenamed Alps, is the second brand of Nio Inc. Its first model, L60, was launched on September 19 and deliveries began on September 28.

Another spy photo allegedly of the Firefly’s interior was circulated on Chinese social media yesterday. However, some bloggers said it was the interior of an early engineering prototype of the model.

Deutsche Bank expects the Nio brand to sell 223,000 cars in 2025, Onvo 219,000, and Firefly 8000.

The post Nio Firefly: new spy shot showing the side of the body appeared first on Evolution Electric.