Nio Firefly Gets CATL Qilin Battery With 560 km of CLTC Range

Nio’s Firefly electric vehicle now offers a 60-kWh battery supplied by CATL, with a CLTC-rated range of 560 km, according to a CATL announcement.

The larger battery uses nickel-cobalt-manganese cells and adds 140 km of claimed range over the original 42-kWh pack, which is supplied by Sunwoda and uses lithium iron phosphate cells.

CATL Confirms Qilin Battery in Firefly’s 60-kWh Version

CATL confirmed the battery supplier in a Weibo post on October 24, one day after Firefly launched the larger-capacity option. According to CnEVPost, the new pack carries the Qilin Battery name and provides a stated CLTC range of 560 km.

The original 42-kWh battery delivers a CLTC range of 420 km. Firefly’s larger pack increases that figure by 140 km, or approximately 33%, while keeping the battery dimensions and vehicle curb weight unchanged, according to Firefly.

CATL introduced its Qilin battery product line in 2022 and unveiled its third generation in April 2026. The announcement did not identify which Qilin generation is used in the Firefly or specify the battery’s charging rate.

Larger Battery Can Be Purchased or Added Through an Upgrade

The Firefly equipped with the 60-kWh battery starts at 136,800 yuan, including the battery. Under the battery-as-a-service subscription plan, the starting price is 79,800 yuan, with a monthly battery rental fee of 599 yuan.

Existing owners can also move to the larger pack. For customers who purchased the car with the battery included, a permanent upgrade costs 17,000 yuan and can be requested once at least one year has passed since the purchase invoice date. Existing BaaS subscribers pay a 3,000-yuan upgrade service fee, while monthly battery rent increases from 399 yuan to 599 yuan.

Firefly says the two battery capacities use compatible standardized modules, with the same casing dimensions, mounting points and locking mechanisms. That allows existing vehicles to receive the larger battery through battery swapping without replacing the vehicle.

Firefly vehicles can use Nio’s battery-swapping network, and the brand gained access to Nio’s fifth-generation swap stations on August 7. The battery announcement also extends the cooperation between CATL and Nio, which signed a five-year agreement in January focused on areas including long-life batteries and battery-swap compatibility technologies.

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