• Nio Firefly, Onvo L60, and Aito M9 are tied for the highest scores in the latest C-IASI evaluation.
• Firefly has completed production line adjustments, and production will ramp up this week, with deliveries set to accelerate.

Firefly achieved excellent results in China's crash test, as Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) aims to create small cars with high safety standards.

Firefly achieved all four ratings at G or the higher G+ in the latest C-IASI (China Insurance Automotive Safety Index) evaluation results, making it the safest small car in the evaluation, the Nio sub-brand announced today.

The model received a G rating for crashworthiness and repair economy, and a higher G+ rating for occupant protection, pedestrian protection, and safety assist, according to the results published on the C-IASI website.

This is also one of the three highest-scoring vehicles among the latest models in the C-IASI evaluation. Huawei-backed Aito M9 SUV and Nio's other sub-brand Onvo's L60 SUV also achieved the same highest scores.

In contrast, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model 3 received a lower M rating in crashworthiness and repair economy in the latest evaluation, with G ratings in the other three categories.

In C-IASI's evaluation, scores range from P, M, A, G, to G+ from lowest to highest.

Building the safest small cars for global users is the philosophy that Firefly established when defining its product, said Daniel Jin, president of the Nio sub-brand, on Weibo today.

Due to various constraints such as cost and size, it is very challenging to achieve higher safety standards for small cars, especially since Firefly has a very short front and rear overhang, which means there is little crumple space in the event of a collision, Jin said.

The Firefly team achieved high safety through smart overall vehicle design, powerful hardware capabilities, and high-quality materials, Jin said.

Separately, Firefly said in an article published yesterday on its mobile app that the model is equipped with nine airbags, more than the eight in the BMW X7 and the seven in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Jin also mentioned today that Firefly has completed production line adjustments, and production will ramp up this week, with deliveries set to accelerate.