The Chinese company Xiaomi has surpassed Apple and will be the first mobile phone manufacturer to launch an electric car – this after some accumulated experience in the production of small electric vehicles, motorcycles, and scooters, in partnership with other companies in China. The short-term business plan foresees the production of about 300,000 cars per year with the Xiaomi Automobile emblem.
The first model in the range, the SU7, a 100% electric sedan announced as a competitor to the Tesla Model 3, allows for full integration with the smartphone, as the Chinese consortium is the third largest in the world in this market. Previously known by the code name MS11, Xiaomi’s electric car will be built under contract by BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co Ltd), and was made public in images released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which also revealed some technical data.
The total length of the vehicle is not known, but the information indicates a wheelbase of 3000 mm, identical to that of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The registration suggests generous interior dimensions, in a cabin that can have three levels of finish: SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max. At launch, later this year, the SU7 will be available in the configuration of an electric motor with 299 hp and rear-wheel drive, or in the Dual Motor version, with all-wheel drive and 673 hp of power.
