CATL’s 60-kWh Qilin pack lifts Firefly’s claimed range to 560 km

Nio’s Firefly now offers a 60-kWh Qilin battery from CATL that the supplier says delivers 560 km, or 348 miles, on China’s CLTC (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle). The new pack raises Firefly’s headline range by 140 km, about 33%, without changing the battery’s dimensions or the vehicle’s curb weight, Firefly said.

CATL confirmed the battery on Weibo on Saturday, one day after Firefly officially launched the larger option. Its statement establishes the supplier and the claimed range, but it does not identify the Qilin generation or charging rate. Firefly therefore cannot yet be matched to a complete pack specification from that disclosure.

CATL introduced Qilin in 2022 and unveiled its third generation in April this year. The 60-kWh pack uses nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells. By comparison, Sunwoda supplies the original 42-kWh standard-range pack with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells and a claimed 420-km range.

Sunwoda, listed in Shenzhen as 300207, ranks among China’s major second-tier battery makers and is a major partner of Li Auto, listed in New York as LI. Nio, the automaker behind Firefly, trades in New York as NIO; CATL trades in Hong Kong as 3750.

Firefly competes in the compact electric vehicle market with Mini and Smart. Its first model, also called Firefly, launched in China in April 2025.

The Qilin deployment extends Nio-CATL cooperation. In January, the companies announced a five-year agreement covering joint development of long-life batteries and battery-swap compatibility technologies.

For manufacturing and procurement teams, the Weibo post remains a supplier claim, not a production record. It gives no CATL output allocation or model-level pack volume, and Firefly’s delivery figures measure vehicle demand rather than battery output. Verification requires those production allocations and vehicle data tied to the 60-kWh configuration.

Firefly delivered a record 7,327 vehicles in September, taking its total for the first nine months of this year to 48,122, according to CnEVPost data. The brand announced on October 16 that cumulative deliveries had reached 90,000.

Firefly gained access to Nio’s fifth-generation battery-swap stations on August 7. Its shorter body and wheelbase had previously prevented the brand from using fourth-generation stations.

Firefly said the two capacities use compatible, standardized module designs with identical casing dimensions, mounting points and locking mechanisms. That lets existing vehicles receive the larger battery through the swap system without replacing the car, while Nio models can replenish through a three-minute battery swap.

What does this change for Firefly buyers?

A new Firefly with the 60-kWh battery starts at 136,800 yuan ($20,360), including the battery, at $1=6.7180 yuan. Under BaaS (battery as a service), the starting price falls to 79,800 yuan plus a 599-yuan monthly battery rental fee.

Existing owners who bought the battery included can apply once for a permanent upgrade after at least one year from the purchase-invoice date. The upgrade costs 17,000 yuan, according to Firefly’s announced plan.

Existing BaaS users can also upgrade permanently for a 3,000-yuan service fee. Their monthly battery rent rises to 599 yuan from 399 yuan for the 42-kWh pack.

Operationally, that adds range and retains access to swapping; it does not turn Firefly into a different platform. Buyers without battery ownership must compare the lower upfront BaaS price with the higher monthly charge.

The next checkpoint is Firefly’s monthly delivery mix with the 60-kWh pack, alongside CATL disclosure of the Qilin generation, charging rate and production allocation. Until those data appear, the 560-km figure remains a supplier claim, and the upgrade plan’s adoption remains unmeasured.