The Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio is planning to launch all three of its brands in Australia and not just the Firefly electric hatch.
The funky 2026 Firefly has achieved full Australian Design Rule certification (ADR), meaning it now has the green light for a local debut.
But that’s just the start of a major expansion plan into Australia for the Chinese start-up that also includes the Nio master brand and its other spin-off Onvo.
READ MORE: Scoop pics: Cute Nio Firefly electric hatch caught testing in Australia, could be on-sale here in 2026
READ MORE: Look out MG4 and BYD Dolphin! Distinctive iPhone-eyed Firefly hatch is Chinese luxury brand NIO’s debut budget buy
READ MORE: It’s another Chinese Tesla Model Y crusher! Meet the 2024 fast-charging long-range Onvo L60
Nio’s co-founder and President Lihong Qin has confirmed the group’s Australian and New Zealand plans.
“Hello friends in Australia and New Zealand, we are also quite familiar with the markets in Australia and New Zealand and have been paying close attention,” he said in an interview at the Chinese launch of the Nio ES8 luxury SUV last month.
“We have also been in close discussions with strong dealer partners in both countries.
“I believe that in the near future Nio vehicles will arrive in Australia and New Zealand.
“Please take some time to learn more about us. If you are not in a hurry to change your car, perhaps you could wait a little for Nio, Onvo and Firefly.
Nio is the luxury brand among the three with eight models offered in China. Onvo sits in the middle with a two-model line-up including the L60, a Tesla Model Y rival.
Firefly is a single model at the moment and it is the only model from the group to gain ADR status.
However, no details such as timing or dealer partners for its debut Down Under have been announced.
The approval, issued as per normal on the federal government’s ROVER website, confirmed Nio was planning to launch here.
It came after the Firefly hatch been spotted testing on Australian roads and Chinese brand has also made multiple trademark filings.
When the Firefly arrives it is tipped to be priced from around $35,000 plus on-roads, making it more expensive than a BYD Dolphin ($29,990 plus ORCs), but significantly cheaper than the electric Mini Cooper (from $49,990 drive-away).
Currently, just one Firefly has been offered for export, a small well-equipped hatch that comes powered by a 105kW/200Nm single e-motor.
It drives the rear axle and is combined with a 41.2kWh lithium iron phosphate battery providing a range of up to 330km.
Off the line, the small Nio hatch accelerates from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds, while a 100kW DC charge sees a 10 to 80 per cent top up take 29 minutes.
From launch, expect standard LED headlamps, a 13.2-inch infotainment, a 6.0-inch digital instrument panel and a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat that is also heated and ventilated and wrapped in faux leather.
Other onboard tech should include a 50-watt wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, a 14-speaker 640W sound system and driver assist tech that includes an auto-park feature.
A panoramic roof, power-fold mirrors, fragrance dispenser and an electric tailgate all highlight its premium aspirations.
Within, there’s space for up to five adults at a squeeze, while the Firefly offers an impressive 404 litre rear boot that expands to 1253L with rear seats dropped. A further 92L is offered in the upfront frunk.
But the pint-sized Nio is almost certain to miss out on the special feature that has seen it warmly embraced by Chinese consumers – state-of-the-art battery swap tech.
Currently in China the battery swap stations are located on highways, allowing owners to swap out their car’s battery or exchange for a much larger power pack for holidays or long distances.
Last year Nio started installing its fourth-gen battery-swap stations that is now capable of swapping out a drained battery for a fully-charged one in less than 144 seconds. Work is already underway for even quicker swaps in the future.
Nio says it will invest in battery swap stations in Europe with more than 30 stations already in operation in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden with plans to introduce more stations in the coming months.
So far there’s been no announcement about Australian battery swapping stations.
