Although the car is tightly wrapped in camouflage, it can be seen looking similar to the Zeekr X or Volkswagen's ID.3.
(Spy shots of what is suspected to be the first model of the Nio Firefly sub-brand have been shared by HiEV.)
Nio (NYSE: NIO) is expected to launch a sub-brand codenamed Firefly first in Europe in 2025, and now spy shots of what is suspected to be the brand's debut model have been revealed for the first time.
Local media outlet HiEV shared four images on its Weibo page yesterday that it said could be the first spy shots of a model from "a sub-brand of one of the new carmakers."
HiEV didn't directly mention the Nio or Firefly, but the texts it shared clearly implied it was Firefly. Local automotive media outlet Yiche cited the images in a report last night as saying that they were spy shots of Firefly's first model.
While the car is tightly wrapped in camouflage, it can be seen to look similar to the Zeekr X or Volkswagen's ID.3, HiEV said, adding that they've heard that the car's actual dimensions are a bit smaller than either of those.
"The model is positioned as a younger, sportier small car with good handling, and the new sub-brand favors a cuter look compared to the main brand's luxurious, decent proposition," HiEV wrote.
The sub-brand's offerings are positioned similarly to the relationship between Mercedes-Benz and Smart, and BMW and Mini, HiEV said.
"Given that the company had another sub-brand before this one targeting the price range of the RMB 200,000 ($27,830) class, this new sub-brand should be attractive in terms of price," HiEV said.
"The cost requirements (for the sub-brand) that we have learned from suppliers last year also validate this," HiEV said.
Nio management first confirmed in August 2021 that the company would enter the lower-priced mass market with a sub-brand, and referred to the internal codename as Alps in subsequent communications.
On January 26, 2023, Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong said that in addition to Alps, another Nio sub-brand, codenamed Firefly, was in the planning stages and would be delivered first to European consumers.
On December 15, Reuters cited Qin as saying that Nio will launch the Firefly brand in Europe in 2025, offering smaller models.
Alps is seen to be aimed primarily at the market priced at RMB 200,000-300,000, while the Firefly brand is expected to target the market priced within the RMB 200,000 range.
Trial production of Alps' first model is scheduled to begin in July, with the launch and start of deliveries expected in the second half of the year, local media outlet 36kr said in a February 5 report, citing several people familiar with the matter.
($1 = RMB 7.1863)
Nio sets up parts firm in Chuzhou, possibly for Firefly brand
儘管這輛車被迷彩包裹得嚴嚴實實,但可以看到它看起來與極客X或大衆汽車的ID.3相似。
(HiEV已經分享了疑似Nio Firefly子品牌首款車型的間諜鏡頭。)
蔚來(紐約證券交易所代碼:NIO)預計將於2025年在歐洲首次推出代號爲Firefly的子品牌,現在疑似該品牌首款車型的間諜鏡頭已首次曝光。
當地媒體HiEV昨天在其微博頁面上分享了四張圖片,稱這可能是 “一家新汽車製造商的子品牌” 對車型的首張間諜鏡頭。
HiEV沒有直接提及Nio或Firefly,但它分享的文字明確暗示它是螢火蟲。當地汽車媒體Yiche在昨晚的一份報道中引用了這些照片,稱它們是螢火蟲首款車型的間諜鏡頭。
HiEV說,雖然這輛車被僞裝緊緊地包裹着,但可以看到它看起來與極客X或大衆汽車的ID.3相似,並補充說,他們聽說這輛車的實際尺寸比兩者都小一點。
HiEV寫道:“該車型被定位爲一款更年輕、更具運動感且操控性好的小型車,與主品牌的豪華、體面的主張相比,新的子品牌更傾向於外觀更可愛。”
HiEV表示,該子品牌的產品定位與梅賽德斯-奔馳與Smart以及寶馬和Mini之間的關係類似。
HiEV表示:“鑑於該公司在此之前還有另一個子品牌,目標價格範圍爲人民幣20萬元(合27,830美元),因此這個新的子品牌在價格方面應該具有吸引力。”
HiEV說:“我們去年從供應商那裏了解到的(子品牌)成本要求也證實了這一點。”
蔚來管理層於2021年8月首次證實,該公司將通過子品牌進入價格較低的大衆市場,並在隨後的溝通中將內部代號稱爲Alps。
2023年1月26日,蔚來聯合創始人兼總裁秦立宏表示,除了阿爾卑斯之外,蔚來另一個代號爲Firefly的子品牌正處於規劃階段,將首先交付給歐洲消費者。
12月15日,路透社援引秦的話說,蔚來將在2025年在歐洲推出螢火蟲品牌,提供較小的車型。
據認爲,阿爾卑斯主要瞄準價格在20萬至30萬元人民幣的市場,而螢火蟲品牌的目標市場價格在20萬元人民幣範圍內。
當地媒體36kr在2月5日的一份報告中援引幾位知情人士的話說,阿爾卑斯首款車型的試產計劃於7月開始,預計將在下半年推出和開始交付。
($1 = 人民幣 7.1863)
蔚來在滁州成立零部件公司,可能是螢火蟲品牌的零件公司