"Super cheap" phone company Xiaomi is about to sell its first electric car model

Smartphone maker Xiaomi has applied for a sales license for its first electric vehicle (EV) in China. It is a sedan called the Xiaomi SU7.

Recently, the specifications of this EV model have been revealed. It is expected that SU7 will be produced under a contract between Xiaomi and Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC).

Xiaomi SU7 model has had its images and specifications leaked even though it has not been released to the market.

Xiaomi SU7 is an electric sedan with dimensions of length × width × height of 4,997 × 1,963 × 1,455 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. The car will have two wheel options, 19 inches and 20 inches. At the same time, there are two main variants: with and without radar. The safety radar is mounted behind the front windshield, similar to many models equipped with ADAS.

According to information on MIIT, there are three version configurations: SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max. Some versions will have an active rear spoiler.

Based on leaked images, the car's B-pillar also integrates a camera, leading many to speculate that this model has a feature to unlock the engine using facial recognition.

The electric sedan's powertrain has two options: RWD (rear-wheel drive) with a 295-horsepower electric motor and AWD with 2 electric motors for a maximum output of 664 horsepower. The LFP battery pack produced by BYD is used on the standard version and the NMC battery pack produced by CATL is used for the high-end version.

The Xiaomi SU7 electric motor model has the code TZ220XS000, manufactured by United Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd - an auto parts manufacturing company in cooperation with German multinational technology corporation Robert Bosch GmbH.

The car weighs 1,980 kg and the top speed is limited to 210 km/h for the standard version. The top version increases the weight to 2,205 kg, while the top speed improves to 265 km/h.

The Xiaomi SU7 also comes with ETC functionality – a system that allows drivers to pay tolls on the road without stopping. The in-car amenities will be powered by Xiaomi’s HyperOS division, which has its own operating system developed to power both smartphones and cars.

The Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle will start production in December 2023 and be delivered to customers from February 2024.

Xiaomi announced its entry into the electric vehicle race two and a half years ago, in March 2021, and said it would invest 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in the project.

BAIC's Beijing plant has begun production and testing of the SU7, with dozens of test vehicles already rolling off the production line. BAIC also manufactures Mercedes-Benz cars in China under a joint venture called Beijing-Benz.