Nio‘s sub-brand Firefly said on Sunday that it delivered 2,657 vehicles in February, a 5.3% drop from the 2,807 units it had delivered in the first month of 2026.
February represented the second-worst result for the brand since its first full month of deliveries in May 2025.
The Chinese New Year Holiday period typically weighs on both production and sales activity, making February one of the weakest months of the year.
Furthermore, this year’s holiday is three days longer than 2025, marking the longest on record — according to China’s Passenger Car Association (CPCA) — and reducing the month to just 16 work days.
Firefly was launched in December 2024 with deliveries starting in April 2025.
Last year, monthly deliveries grew consecutively month-over-month, peaking at over 7,000 units in December.
Over roughly eight months of deliveries, the brand accumulated 39,414 units, representing 12% of total Nio Group deliveries.
Despite being its more affordable brand, Firefly still represents a small share of the total vehicles delivered by the Shanghai-based EV maker.
Last month, the group — which also includes its main premium marque and the family-oriented Onvo brand — delivered 20,797 vehicles, a 57.6% increase year over year.
Nio has recently opened its first multi-brand store in China, as it aims to increase brand awareness for its Onvo and Firefly sub-brands, while reducing fixed costs at the same time.
Global Reach
Founder and Chief Executive Officer William Li wrote to employees earlier this year that “Firefly serves as our pioneering brand for global market entry.”
“In China, our lineup is ‘Nio, Onvo, Firefly,’ while globally it is ‘Firefly, Onvo, Nio,’” he added.
Firefly debuted in Europe in mid-August, with deliveries starting in the Netherlands and Norway.
The brand has since expanded to Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Austria, and Portugal, with Luxembourg following.
Nio exported 389 Firefly vehicles in December and 70 additional units in January.
The brand represented 57.9% of the Group’s exports in the first month of the year, according to data published by the CPCA.
RHD Markets
The company began mass-producing right-hand drive Firefly vehicles in November, with the first units destined for Singapore.
While Singapore marks Firefly‘s first right-hand drive deliveries, Macau became the first right-hand drive market where the brand began taking orders late last year.
The company’s head of global business Chris Chen said late last year that Firefly will arrive in Thailand in March.
The UK, Australia, and New Zealand are expected to follow.
The EV maker seems to be targeting growth in these markets since they are tariff-free, unlike Europe, where Chinese-produced electric vehicles face import duties since late 2024.
Several brands have chosen to expand in Europe through hybrid models, which are not subject to the same tariffs as battery electric vehicles.
Nio, however, pushed back on reports suggesting a hybrid version of the Firefly could be in development, and has since reaffirmed its commitment to a fully electric lineup.
Although Nio and Onvo are both set to launch new models this year — including the flagship Nio ES9 and the five-seat Onvo L80, both scheduled for an April unveiling — the Shanghai-based company has not announced any new models for its Firefly brand.
