Recently, Nio’s second brand, Onvo, launched its first car, the L60. Nio, however, is set to have a third brand currently known by the codename Firefly. And now, we have the first glimpse of the interior of the forthcoming first model.
We say glimpse because although this is a spy shot, it is purely seeing the interior through the window, and it is not particularly clear. The Onvo L60 takes the approach of having one screen along with a head-up display, unlike in Nio models, where there is both a central infotainment screen and an instrument panel. It seems that in the case of Firefly, there is both an infotainment screen and an instrument panel. Most likely, this means there will not be a head-up display. It should be noted that we previously published pictures showing the two-screen layout two months ago, which were probably clearer!
From what is known, Firefly will have a similar relationship with Nio as the relationship between Mini and BMW. Originally designed with the European market in mind and supposedly set for a simultaneous introduction to Europe and China, the car, according to the latest reports, is now set for a launch in China before Europe. The change may well be due to the EU tariffs on the import of Chinese EVs. It is believed that in China, the Firefly brand will have prices starting from around 100,000 yuan (14,200 USD) and range up to 200,000 yuan (28,350 USD), and will be sold as a boutique product.
According to Autohome, which published the spy shot, the drive selector is on a steering column-mounted stalk and is similar in style to that scene on the Volkswagen ID.3. However, given the picture, this seems far from obvious. The article also claims a two-tone steering wheel.
Currently, we do not know the actual brand name for the third brand, and Firefly is not expected until next year. The first model has been spied testing in both China and Europe and appears to be a relatively small car similar in style to an ID.3. According to Nio, the car will be capable of battery swapping; however, it is incompatible with Nio’s existing battery swap infrastructure and will use its own swap stations, which are reportedly about the size of a shipping container.
Latest reports indicate that in China, the new brand will be sold from Nio’s existing sales network rather than creating a separate network for the brand.
Source: Autohome
