Chinese EV maker Nio has launched yet another sub brand, which will be coming to Europe with a small hatch which is set to rival the Renault 5 and bears a distinct resemblance to the Honda e. 

The details of the car are sketchy, but Nio said it “aims to exceed expectations in design, safety, space, intelligence, and energy efficiency.”

The brand logo is inspired by the character of the firefly, which it says is “buzzing with energy, and represents freedom of movement”. 

Although the car is clearly a homage to the Honda, it does have a few unique design features, including distinctive three-ring light clusters at the front and rear. It is also said to have a frunk which is larger than a Tesla Model 3’s. 

It has been designed and engineered to meet both the latest C-NCAP and Euro-NCAP five-star ratings safety requirements. Nio says the use of high strength steel and aluminium alloys accounts for 83.4% of the body structure - a proportion usually found in higher segments cars, whilst the body's torsional stiffness of 35,700 Nm per degree remains unmatched in its class. 

There is no news of battery sizes or range, but the Firefly could use Nio’s battery swap technology, which is a key part of the brands appeal in China and limited European markets. Drivers lease the battery and can simply swap a depleted pack for a fully charged one in a matter of minutes. 

Firefly is due to launch in China in April of 2025 with price of around £16,000, but it will inevitably cost more when it reaches Europe. However, UK markets could get the car first as Britain does not subject the same import tariffs on Chinese cars as EU countries.