CATL Qilin NCM Cells Power Nio Firefly 60-kWh Pack, 560 km CLTC
CATL confirmed its Qilin cells are in Nio Firefly's new 60-kWh NCM pack, rated 560 km CLTC, beside the 42-kWh Sunwoda LFP pack. Qilin generation and charge rate are undisclosed.
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The Firefly hatchback from the brand's own site. The image does not show the 60-kWh battery pack or identify the version.
Image: Firefly
Source · Press image from the Firefly website, used for news reporting.
CATL said on Weibo on Oct. 24 that Nio's Firefly brand uses its Qilin Battery in the new 60-kWh pack, which carries a 560 km CLTC range, according to CnEVPost.
The 60-kWh pack is rated 560 km CLTC, 140 km above the 42-kWh pack, per CnEVPost; 560 km is a vendor claim.
Illustration (AI-generated)
The 60-kWh pack uses nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells, CnEVPost reported. That adds 140 km, or about 33%, over the 420 km CLTC rating of the original 42-kWh pack. Firefly launched the larger battery on Oct. 23 and said battery dimensions and curb weight are unchanged. CLTC is China's test cycle, which typically reads higher than real-world range.
Two suppliers, two chemistries
The 42-kWh standard-range pack comes from Sunwoda and uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, CnEVPost said. The new version therefore moves the top configuration to a different supplier and a different chemistry: CATL NCM at 60 kWh against Sunwoda LFP at 42 kWh. The range gain comes partly from the larger capacity and partly from the denser chemistry, but the sources do not break the two apart.
For cell supply, the confirmation extends Nio's work with CATL. In January the two companies announced a five-year agreement covering joint development of long-life batteries and battery swap compatibility, CnEVPost noted. Qilin is a CATL product line introduced in 2022, with a third generation unveiled in April 2026.
Swap-compatible design
Firefly said the two capacities share standardized module designs, with identical casing dimensions, mounting points and locking mechanisms. That lets existing cars take the larger pack through a battery swap. Firefly cars can swap in 3 minutes, and the brand gained access to Nio's fifth-generation swap stations on Aug. 7. Voltgrid News reported earlier on CATL's battery swap deal with BAIC.
Existing owners can apply for a permanent upgrade once a year has passed since purchase. The upgrade costs 17,000 yuan for owners who bought the battery outright. Battery-as-a-service users pay a 3,000 yuan service fee, and monthly rent rises to 599 yuan from 399 yuan.
What is not confirmed yet
CATL's Weibo post did not say which Qilin generation Firefly uses or give a charging rate, so energy density and charge time for the pack remain unknown. The sources also give no cell format or cell-level Wh/kg.
For the supply chain, the watch point is whether the swap-compatible design lets Firefly shift volume between LFP and NCM packs as cell availability changes. Firefly reached 90,000 cumulative deliveries on Oct. 16 and delivered 7,327 vehicles in September, CnEVPost said; the brand has not said how many buyers it expects to take the 60-kWh option.
