A city-sized electric car from China's Nio has been given the green light for sale in Australia to rival the BYD Dolphin and MG 4 – with prices tipped to start below $40,000 – but showroom arrival timing is yet to be announced.
Electric Cars
China's rival for the Mini Cooper – the city-sized Firefly hatchback – is set to imminently launch the Nio electric-car brand in Australia, to compete against XPeng, BYD, Zeekr and a slew of new entrants.
After months of speculation – including trademark filings and a prototype spotted on local roads in June – Nio has received government approval to sell the Firefly in Australia.
But it remains unclear when the first cars are due to reach customers, how much they will cost, or even how they will be sold.
Estimates based on Dutch pricing – and the RRPs of rival BYD and MG electric cars – suggest the five-door, Toyota Yaris-sized Firefly could start from about $35,000 plus on-road costs.
It would place among Australia's least expensive electric cars, dearer than a BYD Dolphin (from $29,990) but much cheaper than a Mini Cooper SE ($58,990).
Singapore has been locked in as Firefly's first right-hand-drive market from 2026, with the UK also reportedly on the list, and production of right-hand-drive models rumoured to begin in October 2025.
Also earmarked for right-hand-drive markets is another sub-brand within the Nio group, Onvo, which sells SUVs, including a mid-size Resla Model Y rival and seven-seat Kia EV9 competitor.
Drive has contacted representatives for Nio in Europe and China – both this week, and on earlier occasions in recent months – and will update this story if a response is received.
The Firefly city hatch has been developed with Europe in mind – as well as other markets outside of China, including Australia – with retro styling reminiscent of a Mini or the defunct Honda E electric car never offered here.
It has already been introduced in Norway and the Netherlands, with sales planned for a range of other left-hand-drive European markets later this year.
Dutch prices start from €29,990 ($AU53,800) for the First Edition, and €32,500 ($AU58,300) for the better-equipped Comfort variant, with a glass roof and ventilated, massaging seats.
While European prices have grown harder to correlate with Australia since the EU introduced tariffs on Chinese electric cars, which vary by brand, expect the vehicle to be much cheaper locally.
Rival small EVs from BYD and MG are about 50 to 60 per cent dearer in the Netherlands than in Australia, pointing to prices for the Firefly of about $33,500 to $36,000 for the base model, and $36,500 to $38,900 for a better-equipped version, all before on-road costs.
It would compete with the larger and longer-range BYD Dolphin Premium ($36,990 plus on-roads) and MG 4 Excite 51 ($37,990), and undercut a Mini Cooper SE ($58,990) or Hyundai Inster (from $39,000).
Measuring 4003mm long, 1781mm wide and 1557mm tall, on a 2615mm wheelbase, the Firefly is similar in size to a Volkswagen Polo or Toyota Yaris, and shorter nose to tail, but similar in width to a BYD Dolphin.
It is powered by a single 105kW/200Nm electric motor on the rear axle, fed by a 41.2kWh battery pack rated for 320km to 330km of driving range in European WLTP testing, depending on the 18-inch alloy wheel design optioned.
The Firefly is claimed to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 8.1 seconds, and charge at up to 100kW DC for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in 29 minutes.
European models are offered with LED headlights, a 13.2-inch touchscreen, a 6.0-inch instrument display, 10-way driver and eight-way passenger power-adjustable seats, leather-look upholstery with cloth or microfibre accents, and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats.
There is also climate-control air conditioning, 60-watt USB-C ports, a 50-watt wireless phone charger, ambient lighting, a 14-speaker stereo, and a full list of advanced safety features.
In Australia, it is listed with 18-inch wheels as standard across two model grades, referred to as 'MAIN' and 'HIGH' in the government approval documents.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
