Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Over the past ten years, New York designer Kris Tomasson has been translating Nio’s ideas onto paper. His work began with the brand’s logo and the rebranding from NextEV to Nio and, more recently, included the creation of the group’s third brand: Firefly.
Initially, Firefly was just a codename, but it was officially trademarked earlier this year as the name for Nio’s sub-brand. This sub-brand will target the ‘boutique compact’ segment, as Nio founder and CEO William Li has mentioned multiple times.
The logo, as reported by EV on June 9, is designed in the shape of a ‘y’. At the brand unveiling event in Guangzhou last week, Li explained that it was inspired by fireflies, describing them as “small, agile, full of energy, and vibrant.”
“We wanted the logo to tell a story. The name ‘Firefly’ was chosen early on. When tasked with the design, I thought of something small yet energetic—like a firefly. The logo combines outstretched wings at the top and bioluminescent light at the bottom,” Nio’s executive told the Chinese outlet ‘Car Styling CN’ before noting that both the car and the logo “were developed in tandem.”
Asked about the selection process for the logo, Kris Tomasson said it “followed a similar process to Nio’s, though with fewer options” as the name of the new brand “already carried strong implications.”
“We wanted a design that was abstract rather than overly literal or realistic,” the designer added.
Focusing on the design process of the compact EV, smaller than any Nio model produced so far, Kris Tomasson defended that “compact cars need a strong social value.”
“Iconic designs from small cars often stem from celebrity use and fashion influence. Firefly aims to bring premium styling to the compact segment,” he added. Since the event on December 23, the design has generated discussions on both Chinese and Western social media platforms — especially the triple headlights.
“The triple-ring headlights set Firefly apart from competitors like the Honda E, MINI, and Fiat 500. These iconic lights give Firefly a distinct identity,” Nio’s senior vice president of Design defended.
Commenting on the future of Firefly’s design, Kris Tomasson stated the team cannot “guarantee the same elements will persist” noting later that “core features like the triple-ring lights will likely remain central to the brand’s identity.”
Over the weekend, Goldman Sachs analyst Tina Hou released a new research note on the EV maker after meeting with Nio’s management and revealed that Nio expects Firefly brand to sell 50,000 units in 2025. Deliveries in China start in late April.
The brand will launch in Europe in the first half of next year, Nio’s founder and CEO confirmed last weekend. Opposite to Nio’s premium vehicles, the compact model will be sold via a distribution partner established in each country.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
