You more than likely know Xiaomiso called apple of China, as a manufacturer smartphone offer a decent option for Samsung. You probably know about it too Smart watchesRobotic vacuums and electric scooters. Good, if often unoriginal designs, sold at a competitive price.
But did you know that it also sells the cars? Xiaomi Auto only jumped into the packaged EV market in March 2024, yet it already has a hit on its hands. SU7. An electric sedan is no different from a Porsche takenIt attracted nearly 90,000 orders within 24 hours of going on sale – a figure that likely makes it the fastest-selling car of all time.
As well as flying out the door, the SU7 also flies around the racetrack. A pumped-up version, called SU7 Ultra and packing more than 1,500 horsepower, set a new Nurburgring lap record in November, beating both Remake never and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT by more than 15 seconds around the 12.9-mile course. Even more remarkable, this Set a record of 6:46.9 On a damp track and with an obvious loss of power part-way round.
Photography: Xiaomi Press
Before we get too carried away, it’s important to caveat by saying that yes, smartphone maker Xiaomi set a stunning lap time, but it did so using a stripped-out prototype that isn’t road legal. is It is also important to explain how Neo EP9—also an electric concept—went partially faster back in 2017, and Volkswagen The ID.R holds the outright electric lap record, at 6:05.3.
Back to the street-legal SU7. The car sold so well at launch that Xiaomi Auto has extended its 2024 delivery forecast. three times Because, from an initial target of 76,000 to 130,000 by mid-November.
According to Chinese auto industry expert Mark Rainford, this revised figure is “even higher XPeng Despite selling cars for the past six years and operating in several international markets, it managed to deliver in the year to September. Xiaomi also saw a 30.5 percent rise in third-quarter revenue in November.
Even the Ford boss loves Xiaomi
But don’t just look at sales figures. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently admitted to not only driving a Xiaomi car in the US, but after six months he didn’t want to return it. Speaking on The Everything Electric Show Podcast In October, Farley said: “Everybody was talking about the Apple car. But the Xiaomi car, which exists now and it’s amazing; They sell 10,000, 20,000 every month—they sell out for six months. It is an industry juggernaut, and [it comes from] A consumer brand that is much stronger than car companies.”
Farley added, “I don’t like to talk about the competition, but I run a Xiaomi. We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago and I’ve been running it for six months now and I don’t want to give it up. “
Photography: Xiaomi Press
The Chinese EV market There’s a lot of crowd, but Xiaomi’s first entry stands out because of its premium styling (even if it seems to borrow something from the Tekken) and low price. The SU7 starts at just under $30,000, putting it $4,000 below the Tesla. Model 3 In China. Even the hypercar-powered SU7 Ultra looks like good value, with the production version set to cost around $112,500 when it goes on sale in March 2025.
With just one model in production, Xiaomi will already be looking to fully utilize its own 20,000-car-per-month factory — a rarity among auto startups, which typically bid on the huge costs of making cars. prefer to outsource to others. Elon Musk was once called “production hell” for overcoming growing pains.
There is no shortage of Chinese electric car companies lining up to take on Tesla. BYD has come closest in terms of outright sales, while a revived MG under new Chinese ownership has seen success undercutting Tesla in the UK market. Of course, the restrictive tariffs mean that Chinese-made cars aren’t viable, or even really welcome, in the U.S. — and remember, that includes vehicles made in China by brands elsewhere, e.g. Mini Cooper And Aceman, and Polestar 2, at least until production comes online in the UK and US.
