The new Firefly promises to be “smarter than the Mini and more Mini than smart cars”
Chinese company Nio revealed the compact Firefly, an electric vehicle developed with true intelligent EV technologies that promises to “be smarter than the Mini and be more Mini than smart cars”.
Chinese car manufacturer Nio has just announced its new electric vehicle, Firefly BEVdesigned to compete with compact models already well established on the market, such as the MINI Cooper and the smart cars there Mercedes-Benz.
Promoted as a “smarter mini”the Firefly features an innovative design, with three circular headlights and taillights reminiscent of the Honda-e, along with a glass roof and a compact, curved body.
The interior is practical, with a boot with 92 liters of storage that expands to 1250 liters when the rear seats are folded down. It will be available at lavender, lemon and beigeand has a turning radius of 4.7 meters.
Firefly is expected to include more advanced technologies such as autonomous parking and Nio’s battery-as-a-service (BaaS) model. The approach allows users to rent batteries, potentially reducing upfront costs.
Priced at 148,800 yuan (19.544,45 euros), the Firefly matches the starting costs of the MINI Cooper and Mercedes-Benz Smart.
While Nio hasn’t revealed details about the Firefly’s propulsion system or battery size, it does confirm that the new EV features a custom battery design rather than the company’s current 75 or 100 kWh packs.
The Firefly is also designed to meet five-star Euro NCAP crash tests to ensure state-of-the-art safety.
Coming to Europe?
Nio plans to introduce the Firefly to international markets. It will start in China in April 2025and then takes the car to Europe, with North America being the priority market.
To support its launch in Europe, the company is investing in battery swapping stations, which should cost less than those of Nio brand vehicles.
However, the tariffs recently imposed by the European Commission on electric vehicles manufactured in China could affect the Firefly’s competitiveness in Europe. Despite being confident in his product, Nio’s executive director recognizes these challenges
“We are building the Firefly car to be smarter than the Mini and to be more Mini than smart cars”said William Li. “The Firefly is very competitive because it is a product built on true smart EV technologies, which Nio has invested in over the past decade. We are confident in the competitiveness of your product”, he stated, quoted by .
Meanwhile, the company is focused on ensuring a smooth entry into Europe, placing emphasis on preparing the necessary infrastructure. Firefly orders will be available through an application dedicated to that purpose, according to the company.
