Nio, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, is set to produce its first right-hand-drive cars to enter markets such as the UK and Southeast Asia. The company aims to start building these versions of its Firefly minicar in October, with the goal of enhancing its global presence and achieving profitability.
The Firefly minicar, priced at approximately USRp 269.70 juta ($16,400) , has already begun taking orders in mainland China. Nio's president, Qin Lihong, stated that the right-hand-drive market is significant and that the company is prepared to cater to this demand. The Firefly is expected to compete with established brands like BMW’s Mini and Mercedes-Benz's Smart.
Nio's move follows similar strategies by domestic competitors like Xpeng and Geely's Zeekr Intelligent Technology. By expanding its Firefly and Onvo brands globally, Nio aims to leverage its technologies and brands to capture a larger market share in the competitive electric vehicle industry.