Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Although Daniel Jin’s name remains relatively unknown in the automotive industry, the president of Nio‘s new sub-brand, Firefly, is one of the executives to watch this year. The company prepares to begin deliveries in China this April, followed by global markets soon after.
In a rare public appearance, Daniel Jin —who led the preparations for Firefly’s launch over the last two years— commented on the design discussion on the model’s headlights, the new approach on social media and the young team backing the brand.
“Hello everyone, I am [Daniel] Jin Ge, the president of Firefly. For those unfamiliar with the automotive industry, I’m the person in charge of this brand, Firefly,” Daniel Jin said while showing one of model’s official images.
Since the launch event, the design has generated wide discussions on both Chinese and global social media platforms — most of them focused on the triple-ring headlights. On Weibo, one of the main social media platforms in China, Firefly reached the top trending topics.
Social Media’s First Reactions
“I don’t know what your first impression of this car was,” Daniel told the audience.” Two weeks ago, when we officially unveiled this car, online opinions were sharply divided,” the executive admitted.
“Many people criticized the car, while others weren’t even critiquing the car—they were criticizing me,” he said. “After the press conference, the term “Future Firefly” skyrocketed to the top of the trending topics. At first, I didn’t realize we had hit number one on the ‘hot search,’ Daniel stated.
“When I asked my colleagues, they casually replied, “Yes, we’re trending number one.” I said, “That’s great! I don’t even remember spending money to get on the trending list.” But then I took a closer look and thought, “Maybe I should spend some money to keep it there.”
Headlight Design
“The criticisms focused on the car’s three headlights. Some said they looked like machine blades—which is somewhat true,” Daniel said.
“Others said they resembled cameras. Someone even joked that every time a Firefly is produced, it consumes parts equivalent to four smartphones. You all know what brand they’re implying, so I won’t name names,” the executive said referring to Apple’s iPhones which feature three cameras each.
“Whether it’s like this or that, it’s quite something, isn’t it? Looking at me—a head and three “eggs” (lights). I paused here for dramatic effect,”
In a separate ocasion, Nio’s senior vice president of Design Kris Tomasson, said recently that the headlights “set Firefly apart from competitors like the Honda E, MINI, and Fiat 500,” adding later that these “iconic lights give Firefly a distinct identity.”
Initial Feedback
“At first, I didn’t expect such overwhelming negative feedback,” Daniel admitted. “The next day, when facing a barrage of questions from the media, I was sweating bullets.”
Fortunately, my young team reassured me, saying, “Don’t panic.” By the afternoon, they quickly gathered trending articles online and somehow squeezed me into Bin [William] Li’s livestream that evening.
When Bin [William] Li saw the articles, he said, “Not much material here,” hinting that the media coverage—as of that moment— was not sufficient. “I replied, “Boss, that’s because we don’t have many employees; it’s hard to gather this much content on short notice,” Firefly’s chief said.
The Process of joining Nio
Over the past two years, my main focus has been building the Firefly brand. The reason I initially joined Nio was that I was moved by Bin [William] Li’s sincerity. Back then, including Li, three senior executives from Nio met with me at a teahouse, and we had six rounds of discussions—six rounds!
“Eventually, I felt compelled to join, not because of the conversations, but because I couldn’t drink any more tea on an empty stomach,” Firefly’s chief joked. “Drinking tea without snacks is tough, isn’t it? And Li didn’t paint me any grand visions.”
I finally asked him, “What’s your expectation of me?” Bin [William] Li waved his hand and said, “Create something different.” I think I’ve perfectly fulfilled his request. Making it to the top of the trending list like this is certainly very “different.”
When this car was unveiled, it literally brightened everyone’s eyes—because it has six headlights. That’s undeniably bright.
I’d like to thank Bin [William] Li here. Some people asked if this was my first time switching jobs. It is indeed the first time I’ve actively switched jobs, and I’m confident it will be the last. Staff, please note this down. I hope that Xiaohongshu’s recommendation algorithm will allow my boss, Li, to see this post in its entirety.
Gen Z
“Initially, to deeply understand each team member, I would schedule a 30-minute one-on-one with one employee every day,” the executive said before comparing the younger generation of employees with the previous one.
“One day, I was speaking with a Gen Z colleague, and before we could exchange a few sentences, he said, “I need to go back.” I asked, “We haven’t talked much yet, and you’ve already realized your shortcomings?” He replied, “I lack patience.” I was speechless,” Daniel stated.
This is a classic example of Gen Z “reorganizing” the workplace. But at that moment, I understood: the essence of managing young people is not to manage them. Let them thrive naturally, right?
Social Media Approach
Over the last months, several CEOs in the Chinese automotive industry adopted a more proactive approach and increased their presence on social media with daily posts and livestreams. Although Daniel worked around two years ‘undercovered,’ he’s already following that path — similar to Nio’s CEO William Li.
“I’m also a diligent person. To keep up with the digital age and connect with young people, I’ve started using ‘Xiaohongshu’ and doing livestreams. Every night, I even bumble around to keep up,” he said.
“Accidentally, I’ve put so much effort into this that I’ve plunged headfirst into the stand-up comedy scene. Now, every morning when I walk into the office, someone raises their hand, saying, “[Daniel] Jin Ge, I want a one-on-one with you,” he joked.
The executive thanked Nio’s chief executive for “the opportunity to take this leap” and also the Firefly team.
Finally, here are my year-end acknowledgments and hopes for the future. First, I want to thank Bin [William] Li for giving me the opportunity to take this leap. I also want to thank the young people on my team for tolerating me and guiding me as I navigate abstract concepts.
“Lastly, I want to thank my family, especially my daughter,” Daniel said before joking about his lack of support with his daughter’s homework have led to an improvement of her grades.
“Honestly, these past two days, I haven’t had time to help her with her homework, which has somehow led to her grades skyrocketing. So, it turns out, when I choose one side—work or family—I can actually balance both. Staff, please note this down too,” he said.
“I also hope the recommendation algorithm lets my wife stumble upon this post in its entirety,” Daniel added.
Looking ahead, the executive showed optimism about the brand’s potential to convert “casual observers” into fans, car owners, and even employees. “As for my hopes for the future: I wish that everyone will transition from casual observers of Firefly to its fans. If possible, I hope you’ll even become car owners,” he said.
The executive also issued an open recruitment call during the event, inviting creative and ambitious individuals to join the brand.
“If you’re interested, you might also consider becoming colleagues. I heard some of you might be looking for jobs? Well, this is our recruitment notice—it’s real. We welcome all creative and visionary people to join Firefly, resonate with us, and shine freely. Thank you all, I’m Jin Ge,” the executive concluded.
Here’s the video of the speech.
The Nio sub-brand has selected Sunwoda as the battery supplier for its compact EV model, the latest catalogue of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) revealed.
The Chinese firm Sunwoda joins now Nio’s battery supplier list which already includes CATL, BYD, and CALB.
The Firefly model will be equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries provided by Sunwoda, which began mass production of battery cells in 2018.
The model’s body structure incorporates 83.4% high-strength steel and aluminum alloy, with ultra-wide double front crash beams, reinforced front door crash beams, and nine airbags — claimed by Nio to be the most in its class.
Pre-orders opened immediately with a pre-sale price of 148,800 yuan ($20,400). The final price is still unknown, and the first deliveries are planned to start in China in late April. The European launch is planned for “the first half of next year,” according to Nio’s chief executive.
In a media Q&A session held twelve hours after the ‘Nio Day’, Li told reporters that Nio has already agreements with multiple European partners for the brand’s entry.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
