Nio unveils Firefly compact electric car and launches ET9 flagship model

To differentiate, we will refer to the brand as ‘Firefly’ and to the model as ‘Firefly EV’ – officially, the brand and model go by the same name. The price of the Firefly EV is 148,800 yuan, or around 19,580 euros, in the pre-sale that has now started. However, Nio has yet to clarify whether that includes a battery or whether the monthly battery rental fee will be added to the purchase price.

The Firefly EV has a battery exchange system, as is usual with Nio. However, the company did not provide any technical data on the drive system of the new compact electric vehicle for its premiere at Nio Day 2024. It is thus unclear exactly how large the batteries are. The only thing that is clear is that they are not the familiar 75 and 100 kWh battery packs from Nio and Onvo – these batteries are too large in terms of their dimensions. It is also confirmed that Firefly will have an ‘exclusive’ network of battery exchange stations that are not compatible with the Nio/Onvo system. However, as mentioned, there are no details yet.

The main thing that remains to be seen about the Firefly EV is its design and the few dimensions that Nio has confirmed. The lights characterise the look of the Firefly EV: Three round lights are 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 light design at the front and rear. However, with its very independent interpretation of this idea, the Firefly EV does not look like a copy.

In one respect, however, Firefly’s debut model is said to be similar to the now discontinued Honda e: The turning circle should be very small. Nio is talking about a turning radius (not turning circle) of 4.7 metres, which should also make the Firefly EV suitable for European markets. In the original plans, the model was even supposed to launch in Europe first and only later in China. However, due to sluggish demand (especially from Nio in Europe) and the special tariffs that have now been imposed, the Firefly EV will now go on sale in China starting in April. The European launch will then take place shortly afterwards, but still 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 up to 1,250 litres (with the rear seat backrests folded down). And a 92-litre frunk has been placed under the bonnet. However, there are no pictures of the passenger compartment yet.

However, there is information on the planned sales model: Firefly will be distributed via the already established Nio structures, while a separate sales organisation is set up for the Onvo brand. Reports have drawn parallels between Nio and Firefly and BMW and Mini. However, this only applies to China. As Nio CEO William Li stated, sales are planned via retail partners in Europe. In contrast to the direct sales model of the Nio brand in Europe, the Firefly brand will rely on the sales outlets of local partners, according to Li. One partner could also be responsible for several countries. Li has not yet named any potential partners.

With a price of 148,800 yuan, the Firefly EV is by far the cheapest model from the company and the same price as the Mini just mentioned, but it is still not positioned as a price breaker by Chinese standards. The Mona M03 from Xpeng is available for 119,800 yuan – but this is an almost 4.80-metre-long electric saloon and not a compact car. Prices for Europe are not yet known, but are likely to be significantly higher than the almost 20,000 euros in China due to customs duties and transport costs.

Nio also launched its flagship model, the ET9, which was presented around a year ago, on the Chinese market. The 900-volt saloon starts with a battery at prices from 788,000 yuan (approx. 104,000 euros), with deliveries scheduled to begin in March 2025. With the Battery-as-a-Service model for Nio’s exchange stations, the ET9 is available from 660,000 yuan (64,850 euros), but the ongoing battery costs are then added.

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

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