Firefly: this Chinese rival to the electric Mini only takes three minutes to “refuel”
Although it is still not present in France, the Chinese manufacturer of electric cars Nio is one of those whose name circulates the most, in particular thanks to its interchangeable battery technology allowing “refueling” in 3 minutes approximately.
Nio is now announcing the official launch of a new brand called Firefly, which had been designed primarily for Europe. It was even supposed to be marketed there in the first place, but the countervailing customs duties introduced by the EU against electric cars produced in China meant otherwise.
An electric city car that wants to be chic, but lacks style
The Firefly, not to be confused with the Fiat engine of the same name, is for the moment a unique model. It is a five-door, five-seater electric city car, the exact dimensions of which are not communicated, which will compete with smart and Mini electric cars, in the same vein as our Renault 5 E-Tech national.
In this category, having an original style is almost essential. However, that of the Firefly seems somewhat modeled on that of the late Honda e, which would have tripled the number of optics.
The rear part, with its strip connecting the lights, is reminiscent of that of the restyled Dacia Spring, which would also have undergone a tripling of its optics.
Unfortunately, this Firefly still keeps its interior a secret. Few technical details have been communicated. We simply know that it will have a turning diameter of only 9.4 m, a front trunk (frunk) of 92 l, up to 1250 l of loading volume by folding the rear seat, and above all that it will be compatible with Nio's interchangeable battery technology.
However, the Fireflies, equipped with smaller batteries than the manufacturer's other electric cars, will not be able to use the existing 2900 Nio Power Swap Stations. They will have to wait for the deployment of a dedicated network, with battery exchange stations that are smaller, cheaper and easier to install, said Daniel Jin, CEO of Firefly.
The model will be marketed from April 2025 in China, with a pre-order price of ¥148,800 (nearly €19,600), the same price as the currently discounted price of the Mini Cooper Electricalso produced in China.
In Europe, you will have to wait until fall 2025 before the arrival of the Firefly brand, which will also be marketed in other regions of the world. A Mini Cooper Electric costs in France from €30,650. The Firefly could therefore display comparable prices and risks lacking arguments against its rivals, except its battery exchange solution, but whose network remains to be deployed.
