The Nio Group exported 121 vehicles from China last month, data published on Thursday by China’s Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.
Compared to the 750 vehicles it shipped in December, the figures have dropped by 83.9%.
The majority of vehicles exported were from the more affordable Firefly sub-brand, which debuted domestically last April and began being introduced in overseas markets during the summer.
In an internal letter addressed to employees earlier this week, revealed by local media outlet LatePost, founder and Chief Executive Officer William Li wrote 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
A total of 70 Firefly units were shipped in January, representing 57.9% of the Group’s exports.
Monthly figures reported by Nio earlier this month indicate that exports represented only 2.5% of the brand’s deliveries.
Of the Shanghai-based company’s 27,182 vehicles delivered last month, only 2,807 — or 10.3% — were from the Firefly sub-brand.
The sub-brand saw its sales drop by 60.4% from December, marking the first decline in six months.
It was also the company’s second-worst month since it began full-scale deliveries, with only July performing worse at 2,366 registered vehicles.
Onvo
Onvo, for which deliveries began half a year before Firefly’s debut, registered its weakest month in January.
The family-oriented sub-brand delivered 3,481 vehicles, a 41% decline from January 2025 and a 62% drop from December.
The Onvo L90, which launched last summer, led the brand’s deliveries above 15,000 monthly units between August and October.
However, in January, its sales plunged to just 1,502 units, ranking below the debut L60 SUV.
Of the total vehicles delivered by Onvo last month, one of them was shipped overseas — it was an unit of the L60.
The company opened the first store in Uzbekistan late last month, a few months after the first L60 units were spotted in the country.
Nio
The main Nio brand, on the other hand, saw sales increase domestically in January, when compared to the same month a year ago.
The premium brand delivered 20,894 EVs last month, with the new ES8 accounting for 17,645 — or 84.5% — of those.
The figures indicate that all other models in its lineup represented just 3,249 units. Of those, 50 were exported.
According to the latest data, most of the vehicles shipped overseas last month were Nio ES6s — named EL6 in Europe —, which accounted for 23 units.
The flagship ES8 (EL8) SUV followed, representing 18 of the vehicles exported.
Nio also shipped three ET5 sedans and 11 ET5 Touring station wagons.
European Markets
Nio is now present across ten European markets.
It first entered the continent in 2021, through Norway, with expansion to the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark following a year later.
In these initial markets, the Shanghai-based company opened several showrooms, through which it sells directly to customers.
Last year, however, Nio began partnering with local dealerships in new markets, as it aimed to boost demand across Europe and lower fixed costs.
The company introduced both its main brand and the more recent Firefly into Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Austria and Hungary, while also relaunching in Denmark with a local partner.
In January, the company registered 30 vehicles across its four major markets, a 92% plunge from December’s 387 units.
The total across eight out of its ten markets — excluding Greece and Hungary, which have not yet reported monthly figures — reached 41 units.
Upcoming Markets
Nio is expected to enter Cyprus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Poland this year.
Outside of Europe, Nio launched in Singapore last month, introducing its more affordable brand in the market.
However, the first right-hand drive market where it began taking orders was Macau, late last year.
Nio‘s head of global business Chris Chen said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal last month that the Firefly brand will be arriving in Thailand in March.
Australia and New Zealand are markets confirmed to follow.
This year, the company is also expected to enter Costa Rica, its first American market, where it will be introducing the Onvo brand.
