Trust a Chinese automaker to consistently push the boundaries of innovation. This time, it's the Shanghai-based electric car maker Nio, which is well-known for its battery swap and autonomous tech, that is making the headlines.
The carmaker has announced the release of its new Firefly brand and with it has revealed its flagship battery electric vehicle (BEV). The new EV will likely come with removable batteries and autonomous parking.
It’s supposed to take on super compacts like the MINI Cooper and Mercedes-Benz smart cars. Don’t take my word for it – CEO William Li announced at an annual company event in Guangzhou, "We are building the Firefly car to be smarter than Mini and be more Mini than smart cars."
You can’t argue that the car is anything but cute, and there are rumors that a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) rental purchase program might be offered when the model officially launches.
The three circular headlights and taillights give the small, curved, five-door Firefly a Honda-e-like appearance. It also has a glass roof and a frunk behind the engine that holds an additional 92 liters (24.3 gal) of storage. The trunk, on the other hand, can hold up to 1,250 liters (330 gal) when the backrests of the rear seats are folded down.
The BEV was revealed in three colors: lavender, lemon, and beige. It promises to be relatively roomy inside while offering a tight 4.7-m (15-ft) turning radius, meaning it will be equally maneuverable on the outside.“Firefly is very competitive because it is a product developed with real smart EV technologies, which Nio has been investing in the last decade. We are confident in its product competitiveness,” said Li.
Talking about competition, Mercedes' smart #1 car costs ¥154,900 (US$21,221) in China, while BMW's all-electric Mini likewise starts at ¥148,800 (US$20,394). In comparison, the BEV will retail at a starting price of ¥148,800 (US$20,394).
The company has not, however, supplied any technical information regarding the drive system of the new EV so the the precise size of the batteries is unknown. The only thing that is obvious is that these are not the well-known Nio and Onvo 75- and 100-kWh battery packs; their dimensions make them too big to fit BEV’s compact size.
The Firefly has been designed to meet five-star Euro NCAP crash test criteria, but no further technical details have been made public.
Nio stated at the time of its original announcement that Firefly was always supposed to be offered in international markets in an affordable package. In a bid to meet the same promise, Firefly is set to collaborate with regional partners, especially for its imminent release in the European market.
Now it's not a big secret that Nio's intention has always been to increase its market share in Europe, but the recently announced taxes on Chinese-made EVs by the European Commission has dampened those hopes. Li admitted that these tariffs will "definitely have" an impact on Firefly's release in the EU. "If there weren't tariffs, it definitely would have a better chance in the market."
But it's not just the EV that Nio is banking on. It's also supposedly working on investing in developing the infrastructure needed to ensure easy adoption in the West. As per Li, Nio is working on creating battery-swapping stations in Europe that would help save money and time.
It's believed that the cost of the battery swapping stations for Firefly EVs will be one-third of that of Nio-branded vehicles in Europe. With the global EV growth slowing this year due to the lack of infrastructure, it's a smart move to sort out these issues before Firefly makes its way to Europe.
When it comes, you’ll be able to place an order on the Firefly app. The BEV is set to be first available in China in April 2025, with Europe following soon after. According to Li, Firefly will begin selling in Europe through local partner retailers.
Unfortunately, there’s no news on an American release just yet. Although the USA remains high on Nio’s priority list.
Source: Nio
