Chinese EV maker Nio said Wednesday it will launch its Firefly sub-brand in Singapore in January 2026, marking the brand’s entry into its first right-hand-drive market alongside Hong Kong.
“Coming to Singapore. January 2026,” the company wrote in a promotional image shared on a new LinkedIn account dedicated to the Singaporean market.
In the SouthEast Asian market, Nio will partner with Wearnes Automotive, a distributor focused on premium and luxury brands including Polestar, Lotus, Volvo, and Aston Martin.
Firefly chief Daniel Jin said last month at a media roundtable in Shenzhen that the company is negotiating with its Hong Kong distributor to build three to five battery swap stations to cover the entire territory.
Jin encouraged the Singapore distributor to deploy a similar number of stations across the city-state.
The brand’s debut model will be able to use Nio’s upcoming fifth generation of its battery swap stations.
The new generation will be announced and launched first in China in the first quarter of 2026, with international markets following.
The company has also launched a website for Singapore on Wednesday. However, a timeline for first deliveries or pricing details has not yet been announced.
Right-Hand-Drive Strategy
Singapore and Hong Kong will be the first markets to receive Firefly‘s right-hand-drive vehicles, with Britain, Thailand, and Australia planned for later in 2026.
Nio said in mid November that it had begun producing right-hand-drive Firefly models for export to Singapore.
The Singapore launch will feature only the Firefly brand initially, unlike Nio’s expansion to Costa Rica and Uzbekistan announced simultaneously last August, where all three of the group’s brands—Nio, Onvo, and Firefly—will be available.
In Costa Rica, Nio plans to offer the EL8, EL6, ET5 Touring, Onvo L60, and Firefly. Uzbekistan will receive the EL8, EL6, ET5, ET5 Touring, and Onvo L60.
Pricing and Positioning
Firefly will be marketed as a boutique small car in Singapore although avoiding price wars with Chinese domestic rivals such as BYD in overseas markets.
He declined to provide sales targets but warned the pace would likely be slow as the brand builds consumer trust.
Business Model Shift
After entering its first five markets outside China with a direct sales model, Nio announced earlier this year it would adopt a traditional dealership approach for new markets, allowing faster expansion at lower cost.
The dealership strategy marks a departure from Nio‘s original retail philosophy, which emphasized company-owned stores and direct customer relationships.
Firefly said over the weekend it delivered 6,088 units in November across all markets, up 3% from October’s 5,912 vehicles and marking a third consecutive monthly record.
