Final Up to date on: seventh June 2025, 02:03 am
NIO is in a difficult place. It’s imagined to be approaching profitability this yr, however the Chinese language EV market is so hyper-competitive that there’s worth battle after worth battle and there’s all the time one other new competitor attempting to eat your lunch. NIO’s gross sales proceed to develop, however its funds usually are not close to profitability. A technique the corporate has stored gross sales rising is with the brand new reasonably priced, small-car model Firefly.
Whereas I don’t see a transparent near-term reply for NIO’s checking account, the Firefly model does appear to be a optimistic foray right into a doubtlessly giant market. Additionally, in my humble opinion, NIO has once more nailed the design aspect of issues with this model and has developed a really enticing little automobile.
In an effort to see that gross sales development proceed, phrase is that NIO could carry its Firefly model to the UK as early as October of this yr. With the UK changing into one of many largest EV markets on this planet, that would give a bump to NIO/Firefly gross sales — if the model can catch on there. The UK is fairly scorching marketplace for small EVs typically, and Firefly might be competing with the Volkswagen ID.2, the Renault 5, the Hyundai Inster, the Kia EV3, and others.
The Firefly (which is, considerably confusingly, the model in addition to the model’s first mannequin) has a beginning worth of 119,800 yuan (£12,350/$16,700) in China. We don’t but know what the worth within the UK might be, however delivery and import prices must be added on, amongst different issues.
The Firefly is blessed with cool NIO tech, regardless of being small and reasonably priced. Its dimensions are: 4003 mm lengthy, 1781 mm vast, 1557 mm tall, 2,615 mm wheelbase. It presents 141 hp. It additionally has a frunk regardless of its small dimension, providing 92 liters of storage there. The mannequin’s CLTC vary score is 260 miles (~418 km). “A standout characteristic is its 4.7-meter turning radius—class-leading in its section—and the inclusion of full-scenario automated parking,” CarNewsChina provides.
In China, in its first full month of deliveries (Might), the model scored 3,680 deliveries.
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