Nio‘s sub-brand Firefly launched a refreshed version of its debut model on Tuesday, adding new colour options, expanded driver-assistance features, and a free over-the-air motor power upgrade that will be pushed to all existing owners in mid-May.
The update comes as the brand works to rebuild momentum after a slow start to the year — and just two days before Nio unveils the ES9, its upcoming flagship SUV.
Firefly delivered its 50,000th unit late last month, eleven months after handovers began in April 2025.
The refreshed model retains the same pricing as the original lineup: the Freedom Edition starts at 119,800 yuan ($16,500) and the Glow Edition at 125,800 yuan ($17,300).
Under Nio‘s Battery-as-a-Service rental model, those prices drop to 79,800 yuan ($11,000) and 85,800 yuan ($11,800) respectively, with a monthly battery subscription of 399 yuan ($55).
Power Upgrade via OTA
The headline feature is a software-only motor power upgrade to 120 kW — available at no cost to every Firefly owner.
No hardware changes are required. In Sport mode, the update cuts the 0–100 km/h time to 7.9 seconds.
The upgrade will be pushed to all existing vehicles via an OTA update in mid-May. Firefly also released version 1.4.0 of its Aster OS infotainment software alongside the refresh.
New Features
The updated model adds a blue exterior indicator light that illuminates when the assisted driving system is engaged, signalling the vehicle’s status to surrounding road users.
The same feature appeared last week on facelifted versions of Nio’s ET5, ET5T, ES6, and EC6.
A direct tyre pressure monitoring system now tracks pressure and temperature across all four wheels in real time. The side mirrors gain an auto-tilt-down function when reversing, with memory settings tied to individual user accounts.
Firefly said these hardware-related features will also be offered as retrofit upgrades to existing owners, with details to follow.
Color Options
The updated Firefly gains a new Morandi-inspired ‘Merlot’ body color — a warm orange-red tone the brand says references the brick and tile rooftops of the old town of Bologna, in Italy.
The new exterior trim is offered as a 4,000-yuan ($600) option, currently discounted to 3,000 yuan ($450) for a limited time.
A new “Star-Track” two-tone alloy wheel design is also available as a 3,000-yuan option.
Buyers can also choose between two lower-body trim treatments: a matte black surround offered with ‘Pure White,’ ‘Explorer Grey’ and ‘Serene Beige’ paintwork, and a speckled grey trim paired with ‘Inspiration Purple’ and the new Merlot color.
New Features
The refresh also adds several driver-assistance and convenience features.
A new blue indicator light illuminates on the exterior when the assisted driving system is engaged, signaling the car’s status to surrounding road users.
The indicator was also included in newly launched facelifts of Nio’s entry-level models last week, including the ET5, ET5T, ES6 and EC6.
A direct tire pressure monitoring system now tracks pressure and temperature on all four wheels in real time, and the side mirrors gain an auto-tilt-down function when reversing, with memory settings tied to individual user accounts.
Firefly says these hardware-related features will also be offered as retrofit upgrades to existing owners, with details to be announced.
On the powertrain side, Firefly will push a free over-the-air (OTA) update to all existing owners in mid-May that raises peak motor output to 120 kW.
The brand says no hardware changes are required and that the upgrade cuts the 0-100 km/h time to 7.9 seconds, when in Sport mode.
Firefly Sales
After monthly volumes peaked above 7,000 units in December, Firefly saw deliveries slumped in January and February.
Monthly figures rebounded to 6,119 units in March — the brand’s second-strongest month on record.
Firefly‘s brand chief Daniel Jin acknowledged late last month that the brand had faced a challenging start to the year while maintaining its expansion targets.
The brand continues to make up only a small share of Nio Group‘s deliveries, accounting for 13.9% of registrations in the first quarter and 17.2% in March alone.
nio groupThe sub-brand delivered 11,583 vehicles in the first quarter and crossed the 50,000 cumulative delivery mark on March 28, eleven months after handovers began.
That pace remains well below Jin’s stated target of 100,000 deliveries by year-end.
The executive set an internal goal of 6,000 to 6,500 monthly deliveries from the second quarter onward.
Nio recently opened its first multi-brand store in China, combining its three brands — the main premium brand Nio, the family-oriented Onvo sub-brand and the more affordable Firefly.
Last year, the company also introduced a subscription service for its vehicles in China, starting with the Firefly EV and recently extending it to Onvo‘s lineup and the new Nio ES8.
Firefly has been positioned as Nio Group‘s lead brand for international expansion.
The brand recently launched in Thailand and Costa Rica — Nio‘s first market in the Americas and, according to Li, the first overseas location to offer all three of the group’s brands under one roof.
In Europe, where Firefly debuted in mid-August 2025 with deliveries in the Netherlands and Norway, sales remain modest.
It remains unclear whether — and when — the revamped version of the Firefly EV will debut in overseas markets.
The refresh comes just two days before the company unveils its upcoming flagship SUV — the ES9 — for which it revealed the first teaser and images earlier on Tuesday.
