Xiaomi Enters the Electric Vehicle Arena with the SU7: A Challenger to Porsche and Tesla
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, renowned for its smartphones and gadgets, has set its sights on luxury automakers like Porsche with the introduction of its SU7 EV sedan in Beijing.
While Xiaomi has its origins in tech gadgets, its recent foray into electric vehicles is a serious endeavor, as evidenced by the SU7’s design similarities to Porsche’s Taycan EV and Panamera sedan.
Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, emphasized that the SU7 will utilize battery cells from China’s CATL, known for its LFP battery technology, as well as from Chinese EV manufacturer BYD.
The SU7 aims for an impressive 800 km (approximately 500 miles) range, driven by its HyperEngine electric motors, touted to be more powerful than Tesla’s motors.
In the high-end, dual-motor configuration, this powertrain will provide the SU7 with a sub-3 second 0-100 kph (62 mph) acceleration time, approaching the rapidity of Tesla’s Model S Plaid.
The parallels with Tesla extend further.
Lei mentioned that Xiaomi plans to employ “hypercasting” techniques akin to Tesla’s gigacasting, involving large hydraulic presses to create more substantial chassis components, streamlining the manufacturing process.
Xiaomi Teams Up with Beijing Automotive for SU7 EV Production
During this period, Xiaomi will collaborate with the Chinese state-owned automaker Beijing Automotive (BAIC) for the production of the SU7, along with another upcoming EV.
Xiaomi has previously communicated its commitment to invest $1.4 billion in its EV initiative, encompassing software development for autonomous driving and the HyperOS infotainment system, driven by Android.
Despite the boldness of these endeavors, Lei Jun is a formidable figure not to be underestimated.
Xiaomi joins a notable list of mobile device manufacturers venturing into the electric vehicle (EV) domain.
China’s Huawei has set an ambitious target of 600,000 unit sales for its Aito EV by 2024, and even Sony from Japan is gearing up to introduce its Afeela EV in collaboration with Honda by the middle of the decade.
The luxury EV segment in China is fiercely competitive, featuring prominent contenders such as the Porsche Taycan (and its counterpart, the Audi e-tron GT), Tesla Model S, and NIO’s recently revealed ET9.
The crucial question revolves around whether Lei Jun’s technology-inclined “Mi Fans” will embrace the SU7 EVs, positioned in the likely range of 400,000+ yuan ($60,000+), despite not being manufactured by prestigious automakers like Porsche.
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