Outside of the ultra-high-performance realm, it seems that all the interesting EV stuff these days is happening in China. Luxury limo minivans, megawatt charging, and even seriously cheap models. While models like the BYD Seagull opened the door for inexpensive Chinese EVs, the Firefly might be the most tempting one yet, and I reckon it has the potential to conquer global markets.
While Firefly might be better known as a TV show, or as the Canadian-market Pontiac equivalent of the Geo Metro, this is an entry-level brand from Chinese automaker Nio. You know, the one known for its battery pack swapping stations. While the Firefly won’t be able to take advantage of battery pack swapping, that’s not a reason to write it off. It’s an inexpensive Chinese electric car that could be huge in Europe, because it seems highly attuned to Western tastes.
On first glance, the most obvious standout elements on the outside of the Firefly are triple-circle headlights and taillights that are either smartphone camera-like or incite trypophobia, depending on where you land on that spectrum. Beyond that, it looks pretty clean, with Bauhaus-inspired surfacing offering minimal excess without looking cheap. Oh, and then there are the colors, including lavender and an almost pastel lime green that add cheerfulness without being too in-your-face.
The theme of punching above its price tag continues inside the Firefly. Okay, physical controls are sparse, but drivers do get a screen for their infotainment and a second screen for the gauges. The steering wheel is upholstered rather than molded out of urethane, the door handles feature a metallic finish, you get actual stalks on the steering column, and you can even spec a panoramic sunroof. Not an enormous bar to clear, but remember, this thing starts at €14,990. That’s not a lot of coin, but with a frunk and a traditional rear cargo area for shopping and some unexpectedly nice interior appointments, it seems like Nio’s really pushing value here.
Under the skin of the Firefly, you’ll find a 42.1 kWh battery pack and a 141 horsepower electric motor. Expect a zero-to-60 mph time in the low eight-second range, more than adequate for daily driving. Range clocks in at a modest 205 miles on the WLTP cycle, so while this can compete on distance with the Fiat 500e, don’t expect it to be a road-tripper’s best friend. Still, with a turning circle of just 30 feet, this thing seems ideal for the city, zipping in and out of tight spots and charging streetside thanks to a port located conveniently on the right quarter panel for left-hand-drive markets.
Alright, so the Firefly isn’t perfect. Its door cards seem like shameless copies of what we’ve already seen in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, more physical controls would be nice, and 205 miles of WLTP range isn’t exactly game-changing, but for a starting price of around $17,000 at current exchange rates, I reckon all that can be forgiven if it drives acceptably. What we have here is a cheap EV that doesn’t look cheap, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Top graphic image: Nio
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Blatant copy of the Honda e. Too bad the Chinese can’t do good design, either pure copy or ugly
I really hope the headlights light up in RGB like Ed Roth’s Orbitron. Hey Autopian folks, does Beau still own the Orbitron?
Not interested unless the whole butt-end lights up periodically.
Honda e, except they got it right this time. RIP e, you were too pretty for this world.
Why does it have to look like a spider??? Oh, wait – it has a center touch screen glued to the dash. Never mind, I don’t care anymore.
I dig it. It’s a simple design that doesn’t look like everything else on the road.
Congratulations Hyundai, the Santa Fe is no longer my most hated visual style in the mainstream car world.
The Nio Trypophobia is a better name. Cause that’s what the lights inspire.
The TrypNiophobia, if you will.
The back looks better then the front and everyone says it looks better in person the the photos so it’s something. A weird little cheap car with battery swaps if Nio and CATL get their swap stations propagated in Europe could be very interesting. I think it has just enough weirdness to be interesting.
Throw in 50% more battery, raise the price by whatever that bigger battery necessitates, and it’ll print money.
Seriously. I can see why the US wants to stop this kind of car from selling here, because this is so much nicer for the price than anything on offer. It’s not even close
I don’t have a problem with the 150 mile or so range that I expect this thing would give. It’s not a highway cruiser but the price is low enough to consider it for a around town runabout.
I’ve been quasi shopping used EVs for a second vehicle. Bolts are the most common, but I do see second gen Leafs around the same price/miles/year. The shorter range and old charging connection at first turned me off, but then I get thinking if I really need the extra range and would I really consider a road trip in either vehicle. If I do get serious about shopping for a cheap second vehicle, the Leaf will also be considered.
If you could actually sell one here for $17,000 I wonder if it would catch on? I mean I know it’ll never happen at that price. But I hear a lot of talk about how an EV is a great second/third car, but in practice they’re generally too expensive for that. Something like this would be the perfect weekday commuter for a lot of people, and at the price of a used ICE car. Even with only ~150 miles of range.
I get it. And I dig it. Not sure how many variations there are in door card design. I can almost guarantee that, here in Ireland, it will be a LOT more than €14,990, but even taking that difference into account it’s a very tempting proposition.
$17,000? Gorram, that’s a shiny deal.
I know! If only someone could devise some kind of economic theory where the people who can build specific things better and more cheaply could exhange their goods for money from countries that cannot achieve the same levels of success in that specific item. I would call it “The Invisible Foot” because it keeps kicking me in the junk.
Hehehe, I get the joke here.
Honestly, I hold Firefly to be the single best TV show ever made. The character writing and world building are unbeaten. Whedon at his peak.
I HATE ITS FACE SO MUCH… it’s a hideous cross between an iPhone triple camera setup and a spiders eyes in a way that just feels so uncomfortable to look at. Anyone else or is it just me?
I have some kind of irrational frustration with triple cameras. I think it’s like an uncanny valley thing, where 2 lenses resemble eyes, 1 lens resembles a normal camera, but this…can’t stop here, this is Spider Country.
It’s definitely bringing big spider energy, but somehow it still works for me. Probably because it’s not all squinty-eyed like every single other new car today.
Also the body doesn’t look like an electric razor made babies with a krinkle-cut french fry, which is nice.
It’s kind of cool, though I want the triple lights to rotate around each other like Gatling guns. 😉