Here is Xiaomi’s first electric car: a smartphone on wheels?

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi will soon introduce the SU7 sedan, a model with three distinct versions that will arrive in China in February 2024.

It is not yet today that lovers of fine mechanics will be reconciled with the electric car. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has not just presented its new model, but that’s just like it, because as is often the case, the Beijing Ministry of Industry and Technology comes to pull the rug from under the manufacturer’s feet by publishing the list of vehicles currently being approved in the country, including the famous new electric car from Xiaomi.

Known until now under the code name MS11, the electric car of Xiaomi is now revealed under the name SU7. It is a battery-powered sedan with a length and width of 4.99 meters and 1.96 meters respectively, with a height of 1.45 meters and a wheelbase of 3.00 meters. For comparison, this is slightly larger than the new Volkswagen ID.7.

Three versions and two engines for the Xiaomi SU7

The car will be available in three versions called SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max, a range structure which is strangely reminiscent of that of Volkswagen.

The car will be available in two versions: propulsion with a 299 hp motor, and 673 hp all-wheel drive via two electric motors. For the moment, the smallest version will be equipped with a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery from BYD, while the most powerful variant will be equipped with a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) accumulator from at CATL.

The sedan is available with LiDAR installed behind the windshield. There’s also a camera on the B-pillar, so the car is likely to have a face unlock feature. Concerning the weight, this oscillates, depending on the versions and equipment, between 1,980 and 2,205 kg.

Soon in Europe?

The Xiaomi SU7 (pronounced “lollipop”?) will not be produced by the telephone giant, but by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC). Production will begin next December for marketing which will take place from February 2024 in China. No launch date is planned in Europe at the moment.

We will have to wait a few more weeks before knowing all its technical characteristics, including autonomy in particular. It’s hard to imagine this sedan being offered with less than 600 km on a single charge.

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