On October 24, 2026, CnEVPost reported that CATL had said on Weibo that the 60-kWh Nio Firefly pack uses its Qilin battery line. Firefly had announced the pack the day before, rating it for up to 560 km on China’s CLTC test cycle.
What the Qilin report adds
The Qilin identification links the Firefly’s larger battery option to a CATL product line. Firefly’s October 23 announcement covers the 60-kWh capacity and its claimed performance and battery design; the Qilin identification came in CnEVPost’s account of CATL’s statement on October 24.
How the 42-kWh and 60-kWh packs compare
CnEVPost reports that the 42-kWh standard pack is supplied by Sunwoda and uses LFP cells. It identifies the 60-kWh pack as a CATL Qilin battery with NCM cells. Firefly describes the larger pack’s chemistry as ternary lithium. The two configurations’ stated ranges use the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle, or CLTC.
| Configuration | Capacity | Cell chemistry | Supplier or battery line | Stated CLTC range |
| Standard | 42 kWh | LFP (lithium iron phosphate) | Sunwoda | 420 km |
| Long-range | 60 kWh | NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese), also described as ternary lithium | CATL Qilin | Up to 560 km |
The long-range version’s stated CLTC figure is 140 km higher, about 33% above the 420-km rating. Both capacity and chemistry change between the versions, so the range figures do not isolate the effect of chemistry. CLTC is a standardized test-cycle rating, not a measure of distance in everyday driving.
Firefly’s claims about performance and battery design
Firefly says the 60-kWh pack keeps the 42-kWh model’s acceleration and energy-consumption performance while adding thermal-protection measures. The company also describes its battery design as having an all-aluminum grid structure, cross-shaped crash beams and water-and-electrical isolation. It says it conducted 14 safety assessments that exceeded national-standard requirements.
For battery longevity, Firefly lists five technologies for the 60-kWh pack: low-lithium-loss anodes, passivated cathodes, biomimetic self-repairing electrolyte, electrode-sheet microstructure design and adaptive expansion-force management. These are the company’s descriptions of its design and assessments.
