Nio’s budget-friendly electric vehicle brand, Firefly, is getting a performance upgrade. Documents filed with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed the news on November 10th. While the car retains its distinct triple-ring headlights and taillights, the core change lies under the hood.
Firefly will now sport a more powerful electric motor, pushing its output to 120 kW (161 hp). That’s a noticeable jump from the current model’s 105 kW (141 hp), representing a 20 hp increase in total power. The car’s battery pack remains unchanged, holding 42.1 kWh and offering an estimated range of 420 km according to China’s CLTC testing standards.
Nio founder and CEO William Li hinted at further developments for Firefly during a recent user event. He confirmed that future iterations will boast significantly larger batteries—expecting at least a 50% increase in capacity. However, there’s a twist: Firefly won’t be utilizing CATL’s popular “Chocolate” battery swap system as previously anticipated.
Li clarified that this decision stems from incompatibility issues between Firefly’s liquid-cooled battery setup and CATL’s air-cooled Chocolate system. Instead, Firefly will rely on Nio’s fifth-generation charging stations for power replenishment.
This shift comes despite a strategic cooperation agreement signed in March 2025 between Nio and CATL, which included a $250 million investment by CATL into Nio Energy—suggesting an adjustment in initial plans.
While this change indicates a greater focus on traditional charging infrastructure for Firefly models, it presents a challenge for quick battery swapping. Nio’s fifth-generation stations are still expanding rapidly, meaning the swappable battery experience that draws customers to other electric vehicles will be limited for Firefly owners in the short term.
Firefly’s rapid success speaks volumes about its appeal. Since launching in April 2025, over 20,000 units have been delivered in just five months. In October 2025 alone, it contributed 5,912 vehicles to Nio’s overall sales of 40,397, marking a robust 92.6% year-on-year increase for the company.
The updated Firefly model demonstrates Nio’s commitment to continuous improvement within its budget-conscious lineup. The question now becomes how quickly Nio can expand its fifth-generation charging network to effectively support this evolving strategy and provide a truly seamless user experience.
