NIO's (NIO) Firefly EV Expands Into RHD Markets to Avoid Tariffs

NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) is one of the Chinese tech stocks to buy now. On November 18, Firefly EV, a subsidiary of NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO), said it is focusing its global expansion on right-hand drive (RHD) markets. It stated that the main objective of the shift is to avoid tariffs that apply to Chinese EVs in other regions like the European Union. The target markets for this expansion include New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Thailand, and Singapore.

To that end, NIO has begun mass production of the Firefly’s right-hand drive variant, with the first shipment already sent to Singapore. According to Daniel Jin, President of the Firefly brand, they will market Firefly as a premium brand to avoid price wars and maintain competitive margins, as well as distinguish it from being seen merely as a “made-in-China” EV.

In a different update, NIO’s deliveries hit a new peak in October 2025. According to an update published on November 3, deliveries expanded 92.6% year over year in the month to reach 40,397 vehicles. Each brand in the company’s stable recorded an improvement: NIO, the premium electric brand, delivered 17,143 vehicles, 17,342 vehicles for ONVO, and 5,912 vehicles for FIREFLY. This performance means that NIO has now hit three consecutive months of record deliveries.

NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) is a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle manufacturer. The company designs, develops, and sells premium EVs. It is also building an ecosystem around battery-swapping technology, autonomous driving, and smart connectivity.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.