Nio to enter Singapore with Wearnes Automotive as partner – Firefly EV launching in 2026; Malaysia next?

Nio today officially announced it would sell its first-ever right-hand drive model, the Firefly EV, in Singapore. In an official release, the Chinese automaker said it is partnering with Wearnes Automotive to sell the electric hatchback in the island country in 2026.

First launched in China in December last year, the Firefly EV is offered in two variants priced at 119,800 and 125,800 yuan (about RM70k and RM74k). Both variants are made more affordable when optioned with the battery-as-a-service (BaaS) programme, which brings with it a monthly subscription fee of 399 yuan (RM235).

With BaaS, the base Free (Zizai) variant goes for 79,800 yuan (RM47k), while the top-spec Luminous (Faguang) retails for 85,800 yuan (RM50k) – savings of 40,000 yuan (RM24k). Both variants share the same powertrain featuring a 42.1-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and a rear electric motor rated at 143 PS (141 hp or 105 kW) and 200 Nm of torque.

This setup is good for a CLTC-rated range of 420 km and the battery can be charged from 10-80% in 29 minutes with a DC input of 100 kW. The EV also supports AC charging at 7 kW and comes with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system capable of delivering 3.68 kW.

Measuring 4,003 mm long, 1,781 mm wide, 1,557 mm tall and with a 2,615 mm wheelbase, the five-seat Firefly EV is smaller than the BYD Dolphin, but bigger than the BYD Atto 1/Seagull/Dolphin Mini/Dolphin Surf. The Firefly is closest in footprint to the Dongfeng Box and Neta V.

The confirmation of an entry into Singapore is part of Nio’s plan to expand to more markets. In its announcement, the company also said it is partnering with Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad in Costa Rica to bring Nio EL8 (ES8 in China), EL6 (ES6 in China), ET5, ET5 Touring (ET5T in China), and Onvo L60. Another named market is Uzbekistan, which will get the same models as Costa Rica, minus the ET5, through Nio’s local partner Abu Sahiy Motors.

GALLERY: Nio Firefly at Auto Shanghai 2025

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