Firefly will start rolling out battery swap access in May and plans to launch a refreshed version of its compact EV “this year,” the Nio sub-brand said on Friday.
The information was revealed on a social media post, in which the brand addressed frequently asked user questions.
The brand also confirmed that battery swap integration for the Firefly EV will start rolling out in May, as the Shanghai-based EV maker begins testing its fifth-generation stations.
“The battery swap service is being gradually rolled out as planned,” Firefly stated, adding that “by the end of this month, we will open it for internal use scenarios for testing and optimization.”
Battery Swap Network
Last November, brand chief Daniel Jin said that Firefly would adopt Nio‘s upcoming next-generation stations — departing from prior plans to integrate the brand into CATL’s Choco-Swap battery swap network.
A Firefly vehicle was recently spotted testing at a fifth-generation Nio battery swap station in China, confirming the brand chief’s earlier statements.
“In May, we will launch the first batch of national pioneer stations, gradually opening them to users,” the brand added on Friday.
Nio plans to build five to 10 pioneer stations between May and June, featuring a thoroughly redesigned architecture to support the Firefly sub-brand.
The company is currently developing its fifth-generation battery swap stations for deployment in China, for which the launch has been delayed several times.
Management had previously cited this upgrade as the reason for falling short of its 2025 battery swap station target.
Last December, William Li said that “starting from Q2 next year, all the battery-swap stations we deploy will be fifth-generation stations.”
However, Nio has delayed the mass deployment of the 5th-gen stations to July or August.
As of Friday, the Shanghai-based company operated 3,769 battery swap stations in China. It has provided over 105 million battery swaps since 2018.
Firefly EV Facelift
When questioned whether the Firefly EV will “get a facelift in the future,” the brand said it will “continue to bring iterative product upgrades, though the approach will differ from the traditional ‘major facelift.'”
The company said it focuses on a fast pace and continuous evolution, with continuous upgrades and optimizations and upgrades “during use,” referring to over-the-air updates on software.
However, it said that “new iterative versions will also arrive this year.”
According to ChinaEVhome, users have reported that certain stores in China have stopped accepting custom orders and are only selling existing inventory — usually a sign that an updated version is set to launch.
The online configurator is still available, however, with customer orders placed as of Friday facing an estimated delivery waiting time of 1 to 5 weeks, depending on the iteration.
Late last year, management hinted at a Firefly model offering a longer driving range.
Around the same time, an auto catalogue in China listed a version of the model with higher peak power.
Second-Gen
Looking ahead, Firefly‘s brand chief has indicated that a second-generation model is already under consideration, with a potential launch expected in 2027.
Late last year, brand chief Daniel Jin said the brand is likely to launch a second generation of the model in 2027.
Questioned about the YouTuber Bjørn Nyland about whether the brand was considering production of a Performance variant, the executive said that Firefly does not intend to do it for the current model.
“For this generation, we don’t have it on the agenda,” Jin stated, noting, however, that they’re “thinking about the next generation two years later.”
According to Firefly‘s boss, “rather than a mid-cycle enhancement, we’re thinking about putting a bigger motor into this vehicle.”
“So that we can have an ‘AMG’ version, kind of,” he said, referring to German automaker Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance brand.
Other Versions
An auto catalogue filed with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last November listed a new version of the Firefly with a higher peak power output.
While the standard model has a peak power of 105 kW, the upcoming version features 120 kW (161 horsepower).
The vehicle has a top speed of 150 km/h and will continue to use LFP batteries by Sunwoda.
No other performance details have been unveiled since then.
While Firefly has not introduced a longer-range variant, the brand chief admitted last year it was currently studying the possibility of including one in Europe.
“We initiated a pre-study project to try to study whether we can package a bigger battery inside this,” Jin revealed.
Nio Group‘s founder and CEO William Li mentioned a “long-range” variant of the Firefly model earlier in November — with a larger battery capable of delivering around 500 to 600 km (310 to 372 miles).
It is still unclear whether this upgraded version will be part of this year’s facelift or reserved for the potential second-generation Firefly EV.
Other Details
Firefly confirmed it has no plans to offer a physical key — a decision that has drawn feedback from owners who want a backup to the digital key system.
On tyre performance, the brand acknowledged owner complaints about wet-road grip and said it will consider offering higher-performance tyre options or aftermarket packages in the future.
The standard model comes equipped with all-season tyres.
For intelligent driving, Firefly said the next phase of updates will focus on low-speed scenarios — including parking efficiency, faster parking space recognition, and improvements to AEB active safety capabilities.
Lane change logic near highway exits is also being optimised.
The brand also confirmed it will adjust the clock position on the centre console screen in an upcoming UI update, responding to owner feedback that the current placement is difficult to read while driving.
Firefly Sales
Firefly was launched in December 2024 with deliveries starting in April 2025.
At the time, Nio offered only the standard Firefly EV, which debuted with a starting price of 119,800 yuan ($17,400) in China, with a higher trim at 125,800 yuan ($18,300) — both including the battery.
Under Nio‘s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) rental model, prices drop to 79,800 yuan ($11,600) and 85,800 yuan ($12,500) respectively, with a monthly battery fee of 399 yuan ($60).
Firefly has since introduced several limited editions to increase demand for the model in its home market, with the latest one having been launched earlier this month.
The EV maker’s demand push also features multi-brand stores in China, combining its three brands — Nio, Onvo and Firefly — under the same roof.
Firefly delivered 2,657 vehicles in February, a 5.3% drop from the 2,807 units delivered in January.
February represented the brand’s second-worst monthly result since its first full month of deliveries in May 2025.
The Chinese New Year holiday period typically weighs on both production and sales, making February one of the weakest months of the year.
