"How Xiaomi's Entry into the Electric Vehicle Market is new era for Automotive Industry"

Xiaomi SU7 EV offers Porsche performance for Kia cash. No wonder it's nearly sold out

Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has revealed its first electric car – and no, despite its name it’s not an SUV. Called the Xiaomi SU7, it’s a low-slung sports saloon that’s more Taycan than e-Tron in its execution. 

The Xiaomi EV launch has caused something of a meltdown among electric car fans and the company cites a six-month waiting list, just days after the vehicle was launched in China. It took 88,898 orders in the first 24 hours.

Pricing has been announced for the breakthrough EV and the cost is startlingly cheap, considering the level of performance on offer: in China the regular car is priced from 219,900 yuan, equivalent to just £24k at current exchange rates, rising to 299,900 yuan for the range-topping Max (or £33k).

A cheaper, high-volume EV is a likely long-term goal for Xiaomi (especially given its position in the smartphone market), but right now it needs to focus on brand building – and the SU7 is the product to do it. 

Xiaomi’s new flagship will be looking to fight with Porsche’s Taycan and the Tesla range of high-performance saloons in both performance and features, with Jun saying the company is looking to build ‘a dream car comparable to Porsche and Tesla.’

On the outside, the SU7 certainly bears a resemblance to its competition from Stuttgart – partly because of the design choices necessary when building a low-drag EV – but it looks to have competitive specs, too.

Dynamics aside, the top SU7 looks to be competitive on paper, then. Range will vary between 434 and 515 miles, depending on the spec, thanks to battery sizes ranging from 74kWh in the entry model to 101kWh in the Max. Full specs look like this:

• Xiaomi SU7: 74kWh battery, 434-mile range, 5.3sec 0-62mph, 130mph top speed
• Xiaomi SU7 Pro: 94kWh battery, 515-mile range, 5.7sec 0-62mph, 130mph top speed
• Xiaomi SU7 Max: 101kWh battery, 497-mile range, 2.8sec 0-62mph