Xiaomi, the world’s third-largest smartphone company, has launched its first vehicle, the SU7, a sleek electric sedan.
Xiaomi unveiled its first production car, the SU7, as a Porsche Taycan rivalling electric saloon that’s due on sale globally after a launch in China next year.
The new saloon debuted 1003 days after the Chinese consumer electronics company initially announced its plans to enter the electric car ranks in 2021 with an initial investment of RMB10 billion (£1.1 bn) and plans for a further RMB70bn (£7.8bn) over the next 10 years.
At its unveiling in Shanghai on Thursday, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the company is seeking to become one of the world’s top five car makers within the next 15 to 20 years.
“Xiaomi will rival Porsche and Tesla and create a dream car for the new era of the automotive industry,” he said.
Further Xiaomi models will include an SUV, according to plans already revealed by the Beijing-based company.
The basis for Xiaomi’s first production model is a new electric car platform that goes under the internal name Modena. It has been conceived to support both 400-volt and 800-volt electric architectures, as well as single- and dual-motor drivetrains.
In lab testing, the Xiaomi SU7 claimed up to 800km of driving range and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 2.78 seconds, thanks to its electric motors named after petrol engines.
Prices have yet to be announced, but Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun advised visitors at the automobile’s Chinese debut to “show some respect for the technology behind the car.”
Peoplesmind
