A MAJOR smartphone maker has unveiled it’s first EV that their CEO and founder aims to be “comparable to Porsche and Tesla.”
Boasting an eye-watering acceleration and an impressive range of over 500 miles, the gorgeous-looking saloon – which was formally launched on Thursday night in Beijing – could shake up other car makers across the industry.
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Chinese electronics brand Xiaomi, best-known for their range of smartphones, has entered the bold world of EVs with its new Speed Ultra 7, or SU7.
It may just be the first of many, as Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, revealed on Weibo that the company is aiming to rub shoulders with the very best EV makers.
He said: “Xiaomi wants to build a ‘dream car’ comparable to Porsche and Tesla.
“If we want to build good cars, we must seriously learn from these two best car manufacturers in the world.”
The all-electric motor comes in three different specs; SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max, with the base model managing 434 miles of range while the PRO can hit 516 miles.
All eyes are on the SU7 Max though, capable of 503 miles on a single charge with an ouput of 664 bhp.
It’s claimed this top-of-the-range EV will be able to hit 0-62 mph in precisely 2.78 seconds – which certainly matches its hot rival the Porsche Taycan.
Naturally, for a smartphone maker, the SU7 will have a large central touchscreen with the brand’s own HyperOS infotainment system.
And although Xiaomi rivals Apple in the world of smartphones, they’ve included the option for Apple CarPlay connectivity, too.
However, UK petrolheads interested in the SU7 will have to remain patient for now, as it’s not yet clear if Xiaomi will be selling its EV outside of China.
However, if they do, the next question surrounds pricing.
In China, the standard car will start at 219,900 Yuan, which is roughly £24,000, while the Max will come in at the very reasonable equivalent of £34,000.
Of course, if the SU7 does enter the UK market, it’s expected that those prices will rise significantly, with the possibility of UK tariffs being imposed on Chinese EVs.
Meanwhile, this news comes after Nissan revealed plans to release 30 new car models in the next two years with more than half of them to be EVs – and they’ll include AI driving tech.
And elsewhere, Lamborghini has revealed a change to its iconic logo – as fans cry “nothing will beat the old one.”
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