Nio Inc's premium compact electric vehicle brand, Firefly, unveiled the Firefly EV at the Singapore Motorshow 2026 on Thursday, marking the official entry of the company's inaugural right-hand drive model into overseas markets.
Pre-orders for the right-hand drive Firefly EV are now available in Singapore, establishing the Southeast Asian city-state as the first market to receive the new vehicle.
Nio has partnered with Singapore's Wearnes Automotive, a long-established automotive retailer founded in 1906 that represents and sells multiple premium and luxury brands.
This strategy aligns with the company's approach in other international markets, as it increasingly depends on local distributors abroad instead of pursuing capital-intensive direct sales operations.
Customers in Singapore can now reserve the Firefly EV through Wearnes, with the brand's first local showroom scheduled to open in late January.
Chris Chen, Nio's Global Business Head, stated that the Firefly EV is compact and agile, easily maneuvering through tight parking spots and complex driving conditions, while also providing generous interior space to accommodate a wide range of practical daily needs.
Nio intends to further its overseas expansion this year utilizing distributor partnerships, with Firefly acting as the lead brand. The company reiterated its previously announced goal to extend its international presence to 40 countries and regions by the end of the year.
Nio officially introduced the Firefly brand at Nio Day 2024 on December 21, 2024, positioning it to compete with rivals like Mini and Smart. The brand's flagship model, the Firefly EV, launched in China on April 19, 2025.
Firefly has already begun customer deliveries in Europe, featuring left-hand drive configurations identical to those available in the Chinese market.
The Nio sub-brand aims to penetrate additional international markets, as company management believes this premium compact EV—with its more accessible pricing and enhanced suitability for urban commuting—holds greater commercial potential abroad.
Nio will launch its electric vehicles in Australia and New Zealand this year, with market entry anticipated in the second half of 2026, Chen mentioned earlier on Thursday in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
