• Two Firefly product managers have set off from Berlin, Germany, and will travel through seven countries: Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Austria.

• Firefly is accelerating its global expansion and plans to enter the European market this year.

(A Firefly EV displayed at the Shanghai auto show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)

Firefly, a sub-brand of Nio (NYSE: NIO), has launched a public road test in Europe to accelerate the introduction of its small electric vehicle (EV) there.

Firefly's long-term testing in Europe began on June 9, with two product managers driving from Berlin, Germany, and will travel through seven countries: Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Austria, the Nio sub-brand announced this today on its mobile app.

The test will last 15 days and cover over 5,500 kilometers, according to the announcement.

Firefly is accelerating its global expansion and will enter the European market within this year, the announcement said.

Firefly officially launched its first model, named after the brand, in China on April 19, with a starting price of RMB 119,800 ($16,680) including the battery pack, with deliveries beginning on April 29.

The vehicle is a premium compact car, with its most direct competitors including the BMW Mini.

On April 22, ahead of the 2025 Shanghai auto show, Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong said during a media roundtable in response to a question from CnEVPost that Firefly would choose an appropriate time between June and August to launch in Europe.

By the end of this year, Firefly would enter about 20 overseas markets, with the right-hand drive version set to be ready by October at the latest, Qin said at the time.

The right-hand drive version of Firefly will first be available in markets including the UK and Southeast Asia, according to Qin.

Nio originally planned to launch Firefly in Europe first, but higher tariffs forced it to change its strategy and launch it in China first.

At the start of the Firefly project, Nio's team conducted research in over 40 cities across 17 countries, including China, and spent over two months in Europe, Tina Wang, Firefly's product experience lead, said in March.

In May, its first full month of deliveries, Firefly delivered 3,680 vehicles, according to data released by Nio earlier this month.

($1 = RMB 7.1841)