Firefly, from NIO, arrives in new European markets

NIO’s expansion strategy in Europe is leading the Chinese company to broaden the availability of one of its most affordable models, the Firefly. On 10 December, the company celebrated the delivery of the first units to customers of this fully electric city car in Denmark and Greece, two markets joining others where the brand was already present: Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria.

The Firefly is a compact electric vehicle with very small dimensions, only four metres long, designed for the city and short daily journeys. This model features a 42.1 kWh LFP battery pack, thanks to which it can travel 330 km under the WLTP homologation cycle and up to 470 km in urban driving, the urban cycle. When recharging, it supports up to 100 kW of DC charging power, allowing it to increase the state of charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 29 minutes.

In the European countries where it is already sold, those mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Firefly is sold exclusively with the battery pack owned outright, unlike in China, where it is possible to subscribe to a rapid battery-swap service at NIO’s own stations. Although some stations of this type already exist in Europe, they are all compatible only with battery packs of 75 and 100 kWh capacity, but not with the smaller battery pack fitted to the Firefly.

How much does the Firefly cost in Europe?

The price of the Firefly in Europe varies slightly depending on the country. In Denmark, for example, it starts at DKK 209,900 (around €28,100), while in Greece it starts at €31,900. In Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands the base price is €29,990. In Norway, as is often the case with other electric models, it is sold at the most competitive price of all, from NOK 279,900 (around €23,700 at the current exchange rate). This price difference is justified by the tax advantages applicable in this Scandinavian country, where VAT is exempt, and because Norway is not a member of the European Union, no import tariffs apply to a model coming from China.

Finally, it should be noted that the Firefly will also soon arrive in Portugal, where it is already possible to reserve this city car and book test drives. With these additions, Firefly is consolidating its presence in the premium compact electric segment and showing that NIO does not only want to compete at the upper end with the ET7 or EL8, but also to attract a broader audience looking for practical electric mobility, a good level of equipment, and all of this at a competitive price.