Shanghai-headquartered EV maker Nio has received government approval to sell its Firefly sub-brand in Australia, marking a step toward the company’s entry into the Asia-Pacific market.
According to the Chinese outlet Lanjinger, the company plans to expand to Hong Kong in the fourth quarter.
Australia and the UK are also on the list, with the debut in Singapore scheduled for the first quarter of next year via the distributor Wearnes Automotive.
The approval in Australia follows months of speculation fueled by trademark filings and a prototype Firefly hatchback spotted in Victoria in mid-June, about 24 kilometers from central Melbourne.
According to government documents, the model is cleared for sale in two trims — referred to as “Main” and “High” — with 18-inch wheels as standard, the local outlet Drive reported on Wednesday.
The move also comes less than a week after Nio’s co-founder and president, Lihong Qin, said the Shanghai-based automaker is preparing to expand to Australia and New Zealand “in the near future.”
Qin said the group had been “paying close attention” to both markets and had held talks with “strong dealer partners.”
“I believe that in the near future Nio vehicles will arrive in Australia and New Zealand,” Qin said, urging potential customers to “take some time to learn more about us.”
He added: “If you are not in a hurry to change your car, perhaps you could wait a little for Nio, Onvo and Firefly.”
Nio filed trademark applications in Australia last year for all three of its marques: Nio, Onvo and Firefly.
Unlike Onvo, which remains focused on the domestic Chinese market, Firefly has been earmarked for a rapid global rollout covering 16 countries over the next 18 months.
Firefly began deliveries in China in April before expanding to Europe earlier this month.
The brand’s first units reached customers in the Netherlands and Norway last week, with additional launches planned in Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.
In an earlier interview, Nio’s founder and CEO William Li said: “Firefly sells very well in China. We recently started deliveries in Europe. I believe in Europe, it will surely be recognized.”
Li contrasted the compact Firefly hatchback with the group’s larger premium models, noting: “For a very long car like the brand new ES8, at 5,280 mm, the user experience might be less ideal. Whereas in China, users do prefer big cars.”
