2026 Nio Firefly: New 60 kWh Pack Gives 560 km CLTC, From CNY 136,800 ($20,403)

The Firefly (Chinese name Yinghuochong, literally "firefly") is the small battery-electric hatchback (BEV) from Firefly, the third brand under Nio Inc. On 23 October 2026 the car gained a second battery option in China: a 60 kWh ternary lithium pack supplied by CATL that lifts the CLTC range from 420 km to 560 km, a gain of 140 km or about 33 percent, while the battery housing and the vehicle's curb weight stay the same. The 60 kWh car starts at CNY 136,800 ($20,403 at 6.7048 CNY per US dollar) when the battery is bought with the car, or CNY 79,800 ($11,902) with the battery rented through Nio's battery-as-a-service (BaaS) plan. The existing 42.1 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) car stays on sale from CNY 119,800 ($17,868). Nothing else about the car changes: it is still a 4,003 mm, five-seat, rear-wheel-drive hatchback with a 120 kW (161 hp) motor, and the launch material quotes 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds for both batteries.

Performance & Specs

The China-market Firefly has a single permanent-magnet motor on the rear axle. For the 2026 model year the motor is rated at 120 kW, which is 163 PS or about 161 hp (120 kW x 1.341), with 205 Nm of torque and a top speed of 150 km/h, according to CarNewsChina's launch report and its parameter database. The motor comes from Nio's own motor unit XPT and replaced a 105 kW unit that was fitted to the original 2025 car, so the 120 kW car is the one that is sold today. The 0 to 100 km/h time is 7.9 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the 105 kW car, and CnEVPost's report of the 60 kWh launch says the figure is the same with both batteries. Because the larger pack fits the same housing and the curb weight is unchanged, no performance change is claimed for the new pack.

The new battery matters more than the motor. The 60 kWh pack uses nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM, ternary) cells from CATL's Qilin line, according to CnEVPost's 24 October report, while the 42.1 kWh pack uses LFP cells from Sunwoda. CarNewsChina's launch report quotes 187.2 Wh/kg for the new pack; the same outlet's parameter database lists the LFP pack at 134.1 Wh/kg (both single-source figures, not confirmed by Nio or CATL). The ratio of those two figures, about 1.40, is close to the ratio of the pack sizes, 60 kWh against 42.1 kWh or about 1.43, which is what you would expect from a larger pack in an unchanged space and weight envelope. The range rises by less than the capacity, 33 percent against 43 percent: 560 km from 60 kWh implies about 10.7 kWh/100 km on the CLTC cycle (our arithmetic), against about 10.0 kWh/100 km for the 420 km, 42.1 kWh car. Neither company has said why, and no motor, gearing or aero change has been announced.

Powertrain	Single-motor RWD BEV
Power	120 kW (163 PS / 161 hp)
Torque	205 Nm
0–100 km/h	7.9 s
Battery	60 kWh (NCM, CATL)
Range	560 km CLTC

POWERTRAIN TYPE	Battery electric (BEV), single rear motor
HORSEPOWER	120 kW (163 PS / 161 hp) in China; 105 kW (143 PS / 141 hp) in Europe
TORQUE	205 Nm (China); 200 Nm (Europe)
ACCELERATION	7.9 s 0–100 km/h (China); about 8.1 s (Europe)
TOP SPEED	150 km/h
DRIVETRAIN	RWD
BATTERY	60 kWh NCM (CATL) or 42.1 kWh LFP (Sunwoda), China
ELECTRIC RANGE	560 km CLTC (60 kWh); 420 km CLTC (42.1 kWh); 330 km WLTP (42.1 kWh, Europe)
CURB WEIGHT	1,492 kg (China filing, unchanged by the 60 kWh pack)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,003 mm
Width	1,781 mm
Height	1,557 mm
Wheelbase	2,615 mm
Seats	5

The Firefly is 4,003 mm long, 1,781 mm wide and 1,557 mm high on a 2,615 mm wheelbase, a long wheelbase for a car of four metres, and it seats five. It is a hatchback with a 92-litre front trunk. The rear boot is listed at 335 litres in Chinese data, rising to about 1,253 litres with the rear seat folded; the European Firefly website lists 404 litres expandable to 1,253 litres with the 40/60 split bench folded, plus 92 litres in the front trunk and up to 29 litres under the rear bench. The two boot figures come from different markets and are probably measured differently, so they should not be read as a spec difference between cars. The official European page also gives a 9.4 m turning circle, which suits the city-car brief.

LENGTH	4,003 mm
WIDTH	1,781 mm
HEIGHT	1,557 mm
WHEELBASE	2,615 mm
SEATS	5
CARGO VOLUME	335 L (1,253 L seats folded) in China; 404 L (1,253 L) in Europe
FRUNK	92 L

Charging & Battery

Nio has not published a DC charging rate or a 10 to 80 percent time for the 60 kWh pack, and CnEVPost's report on the CATL cells says the company's Weibo post did not state the charging rate or the cell generation either. What is known is the physical design. Both packs use a standardised module with the same housing dimensions, mounting points and locking mechanism, which is why existing cars can be upgraded by swapping the pack instead of replacing the vehicle. On 7 August 2026 the Firefly gained access to Nio's fifth-generation swap stations; it could not use the fourth-generation stations because of its short body and wheelbase, and CarNewsChina notes that there are not yet many of the newer stations.

For reference, the European car with the 42.1 kWh LFP pack charges at up to 100 kW DC, 10 to 80 percent in about 29 minutes under ideal conditions, and at up to 11 kW AC over three phases, according to Firefly's official Dutch page. Those numbers describe the smaller pack, and they should not be assumed for the 60 kWh NCM pack. Range for the larger pack is a CLTC figure: CarNewsChina estimates about 454 km on the stricter WLTP cycle, up from about 340 km. That is not an official WLTP rating, and the 330 km WLTP the official European site gives for the 42.1 kWh car points to a lower figure of roughly 440 km if the same CLTC-to-WLTP ratio is applied (our arithmetic), so buyers should treat roughly 440 to 454 km as the likely range on the WLTP cycle and real-world motorway figures as lower again.

BATTERY	60 kWh NCM (CATL Qilin) or 42.1 kWh LFP (Sunwoda); same housing and curb weight
AC CHARGING	11 kW three-phase (European 42.1 kWh car); not published for 60 kWh
DC FAST CHARGING	Up to 100 kW (European 42.1 kWh car); not published for 60 kWh
DC 10-80% TIME	About 29 min (European 42.1 kWh car); not published for 60 kWh
BATTERY SWAP	Fifth-generation Nio swap stations only

Design & Interior

The Firefly is a deliberately cute car, with a short bonnet, ring-style round lamp units at each corner of a dark grille that carries the firefly emblem, a contrasting roof and a rear end with round tail lamps. The official European site lists five body colours (lavender, marble, sand, graphite and lava stone) and two interiors, travertine and obsidian, trimmed in vegan leather with a recycled "firefly" fabric. Inside, the dashboard is clean and horizontal, with a small instrument display ahead of the driver and a freestanding central touchscreen. The April 2026 China update added a new body colour, two-tone alloy wheels, a matte black lower bumper, blue LED indicators in the mirrors that show when driver assistance is active, hidden storage ahead of the front passenger and auto-dimming mirrors with memory.

Technology & Features

The infotainment runs Firefly's Aster operating system, and the China car's central screen is 13.2 inches with 2.5K resolution, driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, with a 6-inch instrument display and 14 speakers, according to the CarNewsChina parameter database. The April 2026 software release added a panoramic parking locator, game casting to the screen, custom lock sounds, an ambient lighting ring, intelligent parking offset and reverse path tracing. The 60 kWh launch also opened a pack-upgrade path for existing owners, with the terms set out in the pricing section below.

Safety & ADAS

The CarNewsChina parameter database lists L2 assisted driving for the China car, with the Nio navigation-assist function, lane keeping and centring, automatic lane change, blind-spot monitoring, active braking, driver monitoring, adaptive high and low beams and automatic parking. It lists the sensor suite as 10 surround-view cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, one millimetre-wave radar and one in-cabin camera, with 128 TOPS of assisted-driving compute. That is a single database source and Nio has not restated the sensor count in the 60 kWh launch material, so it should be checked with a dealer. Tyres are 215/50 R18 (CarNewsChina database).

ADAS LEVEL	L2 (China car, per CarNewsChina database)
ADAS FEATURES	Lane centring, automatic lane change, blind-spot monitoring, active braking, driver monitoring, automatic parking

Available Versions

VERSION	POWER	TORQUE	0-100	TOP SPEED	DRIVETRAIN	BATTERY	EV RANGE	COMBINED RANGE	PRICE	KEY DIFFERENCES
Free Edition 60 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	60 kWh	560 km CLTC	—	CNY 136,800 ($20,403)	Entry trim of the new pack; BaaS CNY 79,800 ($11,902) plus CNY 599 per month ($89)
Glow Edition 60 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	60 kWh	560 km CLTC	—	CNY 142,800 ($21,298)	Mid trim; BaaS CNY 85,800 ($12,797) plus CNY 599 per month
Halo Edition 60 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	60 kWh	560 km CLTC	—	CNY 150,300 ($22,417)	Top trim; BaaS CNY 93,300 ($13,915) plus CNY 599 per month
Free Edition 42.1 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	42.1 kWh	420 km CLTC	—	CNY 119,800 ($17,868)	Cheapest Firefly; LFP pack; BaaS CNY 79,800 ($11,902) plus CNY 399 per month ($60)
Glow Edition 42.1 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	42.1 kWh	420 km CLTC	—	CNY 125,800 ($18,763)	BaaS CNY 85,800 ($12,797) plus CNY 399 per month
Halo Edition 42.1 kWh	161 hp	205 Nm	7.9s	150 km/h	RWD	42.1 kWh	420 km CLTC	—	CNY 133,300 ($19,881)	BaaS CNY 93,300 ($13,915) plus CNY 399 per month
Firefly Europe 42.1 kWh (Netherlands)	141 hp	200 Nm	8.1s	150 km/h	RWD	42.1 kWh	330 km WLTP	—	EUR 29,900 (~$33,694)	105 kW motor, 404 L boot, official Firefly Netherlands list price; 60 kWh not announced for Europe

Pricing & Availability

CnEVPost's launch report, dated 23 October 2026, gives the October 2026 China prices. With the battery bought outright, the Free Edition is CNY 119,800 ($17,868) with 42.1 kWh and CNY 136,800 ($20,403) with 60 kWh; the Glow Edition is CNY 125,800 ($18,763) and CNY 142,800 ($21,298); the Halo Edition is CNY 133,300 ($19,881) and CNY 150,300 ($22,417). Under BaaS the car price is the same for both packs, CNY 79,800 ($11,902), CNY 85,800 ($12,797) and CNY 93,300 ($13,915) for the three trims, and the monthly battery fee rises from CNY 399 ($60) for the 42.1 kWh pack to CNY 599 ($89) for the 60 kWh pack. The larger pack therefore costs CNY 17,000 ($2,535) extra to buy or CNY 200 ($30) extra per month to rent. All prices are China guide prices at 6.7048 CNY per US dollar.

Existing owners can upgrade. A first owner who bought the battery pays a price difference of CNY 17,000 ($2,535), and can apply from one year after the purchase invoice date; a BaaS owner pays a CNY 3,000 ($447) service fee and the rental then moves from CNY 399 to CNY 599 per month. A launch promotion cuts the BaaS fee by a CNY 1,000 ($149) coupon to CNY 2,000 ($298), and gives outright owners 20,000 Nio points, which the report says are worth the same amount. The offer covers first owners who ordered a 42.1 kWh car on or before 22 October 2026, and the upgrade must be completed by 31 December 2027. New buyers choose the 60 kWh pack when ordering, and delivered cars are upgraded by a battery swap. Delivery figures show the demand behind the move: the Firefly delivered 7,327 cars in September 2026, a monthly record, 48,122 in the first nine months of the year, and passed 90,000 cumulative deliveries on 16 October.

Outside China the Firefly is sold in a small number of European markets, and the official European site lists the Netherlands at EUR 29,900 (about $33,694 at the 6 October 2026 ECB rate of 1.1269 dollars per euro), with a stock-deal banner offering up to EUR 4,000 off cars in stock whose terms we could not read. The European car has a 105 kW (143 PS / 141 hp) motor, 42.1 kWh and 330 km WLTP. We found no announcement that the 60 kWh pack will be offered in Europe, so any European 60 kWh car should be treated as unconfirmed. We did not find a confirmed Israeli launch of the Firefly.

How It Compares

The comparison is a contrast, not a like-for-like cross-shop, because the cars are on different range cycles and markets. CnEVPost names Mini and Smart as the Firefly's competitors, and the MINI Aceman SE is the one of those two covered in our own catalogue: it has 218 hp and up to 405 km WLTP against the Firefly's 161 hp and 560 km CLTC, but is listed in our catalogue at about $37,600 (an estimate, as US pricing is not confirmed), roughly $17,000 more than the 60 kWh Firefly in China. The Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric and the Dacia Spring are the cheap European city cars: both have 80 hp and a range of 250 to 263 km WLTP, about half the Firefly's horsepower, from EUR 19,490 and EUR 17,900 in France before incentives. They are smaller, with the Twingo at 3.79 m, and neither offers a 560 km figure, although the stricter WLTP cycle used for the French cars flatters the Firefly's CLTC number. The Firefly's case is that it is a bigger, quicker car than the European city cars, with more range than any of them on the cycle each market quotes, and at CNY 136,800 it undercuts the MINI by a wide margin; the European Firefly at EUR 29,900 costs more than the Twingo and Spring and carries less power than the China car.