Firefly is NIO Inc.'s small-car brand, announced on 21 December 2024 and on sale from April 2025. Its single model, also called Firefly, is a compact battery-electric hatchback.

NIO Inc. Firefly is the third of NIO's three marques, below NIO and Onvo, and is not a separate company.

What does Firefly mean in Chinese?

The Chinese name 萤火虫 (Yínghuǒchóng) is simply the word for a firefly, made of the characters for glow-worm, fire and insect. The English name is a direct translation, which is unusual among Chinese marques.

萤火虫Firefly

Firefly: owner, models, markets and what the name means

Facts checked 4 September 2026United States status as of 4 September 2026

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Firefly is the smallest and newest of NIO Inc.'s three marques. NIO announced it would launch the brand at NIO Day on 21 December 2024, and did so, positioning it against small European premium cars such as the Mini and the smart. Its first and only model at launch, also called Firefly, went on sale in April 2025 at RMB 148,800.

The car is a rear-wheel-drive hatchback with a 42 kWh battery. NIO quotes up to 420 km of range, though the sources checked for this record do not name the test cycle behind that figure, so it should not be compared with WLTP or EPA numbers.

Firefly is the brand NIO has pushed hardest overseas. It reached ten overseas markets by March 2026 and NIO has said it intends to reach close to forty across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia. Singapore, in January 2026, was its first right-hand-drive market, and Thailand followed on 6 March 2026.

Firefly delivered 39,414 vehicles in 2025, its first part-year on sale, including 7,084 in December.

Firefly is NIO Inc.'s third marque, aimed at small cars; it is not a separate company.

Key facts

Chinese name	萤火虫 Yínghuǒchóng “ying-HWUH-chong” The ordinary Chinese word for a firefly: 萤 yíng 'glow-worm', 火 huǒ 'fire', 虫 chóng 'insect'. The English brand name is a straight translation.
Also written	FIREFLY and Yinghuochong
Owner	NIO
Founded	2024
Headquarters	Shanghai, China
Origin	China
First car	Firefly, 2025
Vehicles	Cars
Segment	Electric-vehicle start-up
United States	Never sold in the United States — Firefly has never been sold in the United States. NIO's stated expansion plan for the brand names Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia without identifying the United States as a market.
Official site	www.nio.com
Brand launch	Announced 21 December 2024 at NIO Day 2024; first model launched April 2025 at RMB 148,800
2025 deliveries	39,414 vehicles in its first part-year, including 7,084 in December 2025
Overseas markets	Ten overseas markets by 6 March 2026, with a stated plan to reach close to forty across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia
Right-hand drive	Singapore in January 2026 was the first right-hand-drive market; Thailand, from 6 March 2026, was the second
Battery	42 kWh pack, rear-wheel drive; the maker quotes up to 420 km but the sources checked here do not name the test cycle

Who owns Firefly?

L'imad owns CYVN Holdings at 100% since January 2026.
L'imad wholly owns CYVN Investments, the entity that holds the NIO shares, following the January 2026 reorganisation of Abu Dhabi's holdings.
CYVN Holdings holds a stake in NIO at 20.1% since 27 December 2023.
CYVN Investments RSC Ltd of Abu Dhabi built its holding through an investment of about US$1.1 billion completed in July 2023 and a US$2.2 billion share subscription that closed on 27 December 2023 under an agreement dated 18 December 2023. Its Schedule 13D/A filed on 28 February 2024 reports 418,833,157 NIO Class A ordinary shares as of 26 February 2024 — 21.7% of the Class A shares and about 20.1% of all ordinary shares outstanding — with sole voting power over all of them. CYVN appointed two directors to NIO's board on 7 February 2024.
NIO controls Firefly since 21 December 2024.
NIO Inc. launched Firefly as its third marque at NIO Day on 21 December 2024, with the first car due in April 2025. Firefly is a brand of NIO Inc., not a separate company, and NIO reports its deliveries within its own totals.

The full ownership page for Firefly · Is Firefly Chinese?

Firefly models

Every Firefly model on this site.
Model	Name in China	Body	Powertrain	Range	Price in China
萤火虫Firefly	萤火虫 / firefly	Hatchback	Battery-electric	420 km CLTC	not published

Where Firefly is sold

Recorded in 3 market s: CN, SG and Thailand. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.

Markets recorded for Firefly.
Country	Code	Market page
China	CN	no page yet
Singapore	SG	no page yet
Thailand	TH	Chinese cars in Thailand

Firefly: questions people ask

What is Firefly?: Firefly is NIO Inc.'s small-car brand, announced on 21 December 2024 and on sale from April 2025. Its single model, also called Firefly, is a compact battery-electric hatchback.
Who owns Firefly?: NIO Inc. Firefly is the third of NIO's three marques, below NIO and Onvo, and is not a separate company.
What does Firefly mean in Chinese?: The Chinese name 萤火虫 (Yínghuǒchóng) is simply the word for a firefly, made of the characters for glow-worm, fire and insect. The English name is a direct translation, which is unusual among Chinese marques.
Where is Firefly sold?: In China and in ten overseas markets as of March 2026, with a stated target of close to forty across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia. Singapore was its first right-hand-drive market in January 2026 and Thailand the second in March 2026.

Sources for Firefly

CnEVPost, Nio launches Firefly brand to take on Mini, Smart, 1st model to be launched in Apr 2025. Read 4 September 2026. Read via the publisher's search listing, which carried the launch date and the RMB 148,800 price.
CnEVPost, Nio Dec 2025 deliveries: Nio brand 31,897, Onvo 9,154, Firefly 7,084. Read 4 September 2026.
CnEVPost, Nio launches Firefly brand in Thailand, entering 2nd right-hand drive market. Read 4 September 2026.