Weekly Deliveries Hit 1,300—How Did the Firefly Turn Things Around?

Firefly accelerates with strong domestic deliveries, unique design, excellent driving feel, and flexible battery subscription, preparing for global expansion.

This morning, Daniel Jin, President of NIO Firefly, disclosed the brand’s overseas expansion plan to ChinaEVhome.

“Direct deliveries will begin in the Netherlands and Norway at the end of July. For other countries, we’ll adopt a general distributor model, with deliveries gradually starting in Q3 and Q4.”

At the Auto Shanghai 2025 in April, NIO announced that the Firefly would enter 16 overseas markets this year. This finely crafted small EV, priced at RMB 119,800 ($16,500), was designed to capture the hearts of global consumers who love compact cars.

But before going global, the Firefly has already achieved impressive sales in China.

According to unofficial weekly rankings compiled from major automotive portals and social media platforms, the Firefly delivered 1,300 units in the week of July 1 to July 7.

In June, total deliveries for the Firefly reached 3,932 units.

This means that the Firefly, a “small luxury car” starting at RMB 119,800 ($16,500), has already surpassed the combined monthly deliveries of the BMW electric MINI and the Smart #1 in May.

If this trend continues, the Firefly may reach NIO’s volume expectations even before its overseas debut.

So, how did a brand-new series, unfamiliar to consumers and priced relatively high for a small car, manage to achieve such counterintuitive sales figures? Today, the Firefly is already NIO’s fourth-best-selling model, following the ET5T, ES6, and L60.

Let’s take a closer look at the logic behind the Firefly’s unexpected success.

Is This Car Ugly?

Before deliveries began, the Firefly was mocked online with nicknames like “iPhone camera on wheels” and “six-eyed flying fish.”

But let’s be clear: while the Firefly does challenge traditional small-car design philosophies, that doesn’t mean NIO didn’t put in serious design work.

The Firefly follows its own design language: full, taut lines and generous ground clearance, making it less of a low-slung “ground-hugger” like the BMW E87 1 Series or Mercedes-Benz W176 A-Class.

Compared to domestic electric cars under RMB 100,000 ($13,800), the Firefly stands out in paint quality, lighting design, interior fabrics, seat functionality, and button tactile feel—details you can instantly see and feel.

As for the controversial headlights, here’s our take:

The Firefly looks better in motion than when standing still. And in daily environments, its static appearance is far better than the sparse, sterile setting of its debut stage, where it stood isolated with just two cars on display.

Because the six-ring light design takes up only a small portion of the front end, it doesn’t dominate the car’s visual identity once it’s in motion. In fact, what people notice on the road is the side and rear view.

This leads to the Firefly’s first winning point: when you see the car in person, the headlights won’t feel jarring. Instead, as you touch it and sit inside, your appreciation gradually builds.

Winning With Driving Experience

The second turning point comes when you take it for a test drive.

Daniel Jin’s first viral moment came from his in-depth, articulate discussion of vehicle tuning and engineering trade-offs during a media roundtable for the Firefly.

The consensus is clear: “He really knows cars.” And when a car is built by someone who truly understands driving dynamics, it may or may not sell well—but it will definitely drive well.

If we had to summarize the Firefly’s driving feel in one sentence: it would be unbeatable if it sat just a little lower.

With 143 hp pushing a 1,492 kg body, on paper it sounds sluggish. But in reality, speed and driving pleasure aren’t always synonymous.

The Firefly is a classic example of a car that’s fun to drive without relying on neck-snapping acceleration.

Its steering is precise, the chassis solid, and the brakes linear—features that are rare in sub-RMB 100,000 ($14,000) EVs. The only other small EV in China with this level of driving refinement is the ID.3, which was recently discounted from the RMB 150,000 ($20,800) range.

More importantly, the Firefly’s restrained power delivery enhances its agility. With a body width under 1.8 meters, it’s easy to maneuver through tight spaces without feeling overwhelmed.

For RMB 120,000 ($16,600), you’re not just getting a basic EV—you’re getting something that actually lets you enjoy the drive. In this price range, that’s rare.

Classic NIO Engineering

Now, let’s put the Firefly’s performance in context by looking at the ID.3’s sales over the past three months: 4,098 units in April, 4,217 in May, and 3,950 in June.

As an EV with a real-world selling price of RMB 110,000-130,000 ($15,200-$18,000), those figures are very close to the Firefly’s 3,680-unit debut in May and 3,932 units in June.

Dimensionally, in terms of range and power, the Firefly is in the same league as the ID.3. So is 4,000 to 4,500 units per month the Firefly’s sales ceiling?

At least according to the Firefly team, the answer is no—they’ve still got another card to play.

On June 24, Firefly officially launched its exclusive Battery as a Service (BaaS) pricing: the car itself starting at RMB 79,800 ($11,000), with a monthly battery rental fee of RMB 399 ($55).

As a NIO vehicle, the Firefly not only delivers driving pleasure and premium materials but also supports battery swapping. The theoretical payback period for battery leasing is about 100 months—just under eight and a half years.

Compared with the much larger and more value-conscious RMB 150,000-200,000 ($21,000-$28,000) market segment, the total market size for small luxury cars like the Firefly is inevitably limited. However, this segment shares similarities with NIO’s main brand customer base above RMB 250,000 ($35,000)—a group of users who are willing to embrace innovative business models.

Daniel Jin revealed to us that the early launch of the Firefly BaaS option was driven by two factors: strong demand from early reservation holders and the earlier-than-expected integration of the BaaS system.

Judging from the continued growth in June deliveries, the Firefly still has room to run. In Q3, BaaS could be the decisive factor in firmly establishing the Firefly’s domestic success.

After Q3, the Firefly will officially become NIO’s first true global model—and the first NIO vehicle designed to sell in volume worldwide.

After all, the Chinese mainland may actually be one of the tougher markets for small luxury cars. If the Firefly can succeed here, it means its product definition is no longer a barrier to its global expansion.