Firefly EV shown at Auto Shanghai 2025 – compact EV confirmed for Singapore; will it head to Malaysia next?

Officially unveiled at the end of last year, the Firefly EV has now been shown at the ongoing Auto Shanghai 2025 in China. Emerging from Nio sub-brand firefly, the brand had announced earlier this week that the right-hand-drive version of its eponymous compact electric vehicle will be ready by October this year, with the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia being the first markets to receive it.

Having gone on sale in China in two variants, priced from RMB119,800 (RM72k) to RMB125,800 (RM75k) including battery, buyers in China will also have the option of renting batteries through a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) programme, which is expected to decrease the price of these variants by tens of thousands of yuan.

Safety comes with a five-star C-NCAP rating, a body built using 83.4% high-strength steel, torsional rigidity of 35,700 Nm per degree, nine airbags and ADAS features.

Measuring 4,003 mm long, 1,781 mm wide and 1,557 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,615 mm, the Firefly is slightly smaller than the BYD Dolphin, but larger than the BYD Seagull. Storage in the Firefly is comprised of a 95-litre frunk and a 1,250-litre boot (with the rear seats folded), while turning radius is 4.7 metres.

The display car at Auto Shanghai 2025 offers us a look inside, revealing an interior layout that is of the now-commonplace dual screens on a minimalist dashboard; the steering wheel is a two-spoke multifunction unit.

The flat floor and lack of central tunnel connecting the dashboard and centre console means that front seat occupants have room to move between seats, while the centre console features a cupholder and a storage recess ahead of the centre armrest with its own compartment. Similarly, rear seat occupants benefit from the flat floor, and the rear seat bench can be lifted to reveal two more storage compartments.

With a distributorship in Singapore expected to be signed for the brand this week, the brand’s entry into a right-hand-drive market could open the door to an introduction to Malaysia as well. What do you think of the Firefly?

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