The Chinese technology company Xiaomi, known for its phones, officially entered the automotive sector this Thursday with the presentation of its first electric car in Beijing.
The SU7 EV aims to compete with Chinese giants in the sector such as BYD, but also with Elon Musk's Tesla models. The model will be able to achieve high-level performance by offering a range of up to 800 km and fast charging, reaching 200 km in just 5 minutes.
The standard version of Xiaomi's SU7 has an initial range of 700 kilometers, which is higher than the long-range version of the Tesla Model 3, said the president of Xiaomi during the presentation of the new vehicle.
The Xiaomi SU7 is an electric sedan that measures 4,997 mm long, 1,963 mm wide and 1,455 mm high with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. The powertrain offers two options: one rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a 220 kW (299 HP) engine and another all-wheel drive (AWD) with a maximum power of 495 kW (673 HP) (220 kW + 275 kW) .
The maximum speed will be 265 km/h, although with the base engine it can only be reached 210 km/h respectively.
The basic model will cost 215,900 yuan (about 28,000 euros), company president Lei Jun said at a launch press conference in Beijing, and will be available in nine colors.
“Xiaomi wants to build a 'dream car' comparable to Porsche and Tesla,” said the technology company's executive. “If we want to build good cars, we must seriously learn from these two best automakers in the world,” he added.
The car includes a “sound simulation” to recreate “the excitement of driving a sports car,” according to Lei, as well as a karaoke system and a mini-fridge.
Xiaomi claims that it will be “the most attractive, easiest to drive and most intelligent car” priced below 500,000 yuan.
China's electric vehicle sector has grown very rapidly in recent years, thanks to subsidies, which were suspended in 2022. Since then, Chinese manufacturers have launched a price war in a saturated market.
The launch of the SU7 comes just days after BYD, the world's largest seller of electric vehicles that is expanding into Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe, announced record annual profits.
Xiaomi accounted for 13% of global and Chinese smartphone sales in the final quarter of 2023, according to data from Counterpoint Research.
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