On November 4, according to overseas media reports, NIO plans to launch its hybrid model in 2026 and will only sell it in overseas markets including the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. At the same time, the news emphasized that Weilai only sells pure electric models that support battery swapping in China.
Informed sources said that Abu Dhabi sovereign fund CYVN Holdings, NIO’s main investor, suggested developing hybrid models under the Firefly (NIO’s third brand “Firefly”) brand. Investors believe this can boost sales in the Middle East market. , because the infrastructure there is not yet ready for mass adoption of electric vehicles.
This hybrid model of NIO is planned to be launched at the end of 2026 and will be delivered in 2027. It will not be sold in China. Nio will only continue to sell pure electric models with replaceable batteries in China. NIO will launch its first "Firefly" brand model at its annual event on December 21. The company is counting on the model to break into the European mass market, with its design catering to European consumers' preference for small cars with nimble handling.
Previously, NIO officially announced that FIREFLY will be released on NIO Day 2024 and will continue to be rechargeable, replaceable and upgradable.Level pure electric technology route. Li Bin, founder, chairman and CEO of Weilai, also said: "Don't guess, everyone already has county-wide power exchange, so there is no need to do anything else."