Battery-swap pioneer Nio launches its Firefly battery-electric vehicle brand in Europe, promising to begin volume sales early in the new year.
The brand’s first model is an urban-focused premium hatchback runabout targeting European automaker models including Mercedes-Benz’s Smart and BMW’s Mini. It is expected to retail in Europe for €19,375 ($20,284) even after the newly imposed European Union tariffs against Chinese BEV imports.
The loss-making company’s CEO, William Li, tells media at the global debut in Guangzhou that Nio will work with local partners on the sale and service of the Firefly in European markets and be marketed through the company’s established dealer network.
Designed with European sales in mind, the car boasts a 4.7-m (15.4-ft.) turning circle to cope with driving and parking in Europe’s narrow city streets.
Firefly is the brainchild of Nio’s design vice president, Kris Tomasson, an industrial designer with experience at BMW and Ford. In 2015, he joined the Munich office of the fledgling Chinese automaker.
It claims a five-star C-NCAP 2024 safety standard but has yet to be tested to the Euro NCAP rating. Its body structure is 83.4% high-strength steel and its torsional rigidity reaches a class-leading standard, according to Nio. It offers nine airbags and an ADAS system.
Li says the EU tariffs affect the car’s competitiveness in European markets, adding: “If there wasn’t tariffs, it definitely would have a better chance in the market.
“Even so, Firefly is very competitive because it is a product developed with real smart EV technologies, which Nio has been investing in for a decade. We are confident in its product competitiveness.”
Li also says his company is accelerating the rollout of battery-swapping stations in Europe with simpler designs that save time and construction costs.
He says the stations for Firefly cars will cost a third less to build than those for Nio-branded cars in Europe, adding he is also seeking local partners for infrastructure expansion.
