Watch out Tesla, smartphone builder Xiaomi’s SU7 EV offers 434 mile range for under $30k
Apple may have bailed on its plans to build its own EV, but a Chinese competitor has completed the feat, and on paper, it has the makings to be one helluva first entry into the segment. Today, Xiaomi officially launched its first-ever EV, the SU7 – decked out with advanced battery tech, lightning-fast charging, and a mouth-watering range – all for starting MSRPs that will turn some heads. Oh, the smartphone manufacturer released a new phone model to match the new EV as well.
Although Xiaomi is making its case as a true competitor out of the gate in EVs, it has long been established as a trusted brand in China, manufacturing electronics based on an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, including smartphones, apps, laptops, home appliances, and scooters.
After seeing a decline in consumer electronics sales in the last decade, Xiaomi started turning its sights elsewhere, brainstorming how it could adapt its tech-savvy manufacturing expertise toward new lucrative ventures. It landed on EVs – a booming yet saturated market in China.
By 2021, Xiaomi Automobile was incorporated in China, and in two short years, the company was boasting faster-than-expected progress. By November 2023, we caught our first glimpse of Xiaomi’s first EV model – the SU7. A month later, the electronics company had officially unveiled the SU7 as a challenger to Porsche and who else but Tesla.
In February, Xiaomi shared plans to launch the new SU7 EV in Q2 of this year with hopes of capitalizing on its existing army of 20 million smartphone users. Today, the EV has publicly emerged to much acclaim, garnering an impressive amount of pre-orders in China in a very short window.
Xiaomi’s first-ever SU7 EV looks like affordable home run
Xiaomi held a live launch event for the SU7 EV in China today, posted in its entirety to its Weibo page. There’s a lot of exciting stuff to unfold here, so let’s dig in.
The SU7 arrives at a length, width, and height of 4,997 mm, 1,963 mm, 1,440/1,455 mm, respectively, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Its size is comparable to the Tesla Model 3 (a clear competitor), albeit longer and slightly narrower. More on that in a minute.
Xiaomi shared that the SU7 EV will be sold in three different variants: Standard, Pro, and Max, as well as a limited-run Founders Edition of 5,000 units, of which Xiaomi states were the first built. The Standard and Pro trims sit atop a 400V platform, while the Max variant features an 800V platform, confirming speculation from leaked images we reported back in July 2023. Here’s how the trims vary on the spec sheet:
| Xiaomi SU7 Trim | Standard | Pro | Max |
| Architecture | 400V | 400V | 800V |
| Powertrain | RWD | RWD | AWD |
| Battery | 73.6 kWh BYD Blade |
94.3 kWh CATL Shenxing |
101 kWh CATL Qilin |
| CLTC Range | 700km (435 miles) | 830km (516 miles) | 800km (497 miles) |
| Power | 299 hp (220 kW) | 299 hp (220 kW) | 673 hp (495 kW) |
| Torque | 400 Nm | 400 Nm | 838 Nm |
| 0-100km/h Acceleration (0-62mph) |
5.28 seconds | 5.70 seconds | 2.78 seconds |
| Top Speed | 210 km/h (130.5 mph) |
210 km/h (130.5 mph) |
265 km/h (165 mph) |
| Fast Charge Time (10-80%) |
25 minutes | 30 minutes | 19 minutes |
| 15-minute DC charge | 350km (218 miles) | 350km (218 miles) | 510km (317 miles) |
In addition to impressive specs, the new Xiaomi SU7 EV is decked out with advanced technology, including a head-up display, Pilot Pro ADAS with vision (Pilot Max with vision and LiDAR on the top two trims), a mini fridge add-on, and a Dolby Atmos sound system (Max trim).
What’s most enticing, however, is that future Xiaomi SU7 customers will get the above perks for some ultra-competitive pricing overseas:
| Xiaomi SU7 Trim | Standard | Pro | Max |
| Starting MSRP | RMB 215,900 ($29,875) |
RMB 245,900 ($34,000) |
RMB 299,900 ($41,500) |
Remember that mention of the Tesla Model 3? It’s important to point out that Xiaomi is clearly gunning for the American automaker with the launch of the SU7 EV. For example, the Pro version of the SU7 costs the same as the entry-level Model 3 in China, with significantly better specs. In fact, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun pulled no punches during the live launch event earlier today:
Many people ask me who the Xiaomi SU7 is built for. My answer is, isn’t it time for Tesla Model 3 users to upgrade?
In collaboration with today’s EV event, Xiaomi also launched a new line of smartphones that work with the SU7, complete in colors to match the vehicle’s exteriors (seen above). The hype has been real so far as Xiaomi opened up its books, reporting over 50,000 firm orders in just 27 minutes.
Xiaomi says initial deliveries of the Standard and Pro trims of the SU7 EV will begin in China in April, followed by orders for the Max in late April. Trust we will do everything we can to get a look at this new impressive EV up close soon.
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A Tesla Cybertruck caught on fire in the lot of a Tesla store in North Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. The local fire authorities suspect a battery fire.
The incident went mostly unreported because it happened just a few hours before the highly publicized Cybertruck explosion in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1st.
While the Las Vegas accident involved firework-like explosives in the back of the Cybertruck and was likely intentional, foul play is not suspected in this other incident.
It happened in the early hours of December 31st at the Tesla store on Church Street in Decatur, Georgia.
The fire was quickly extinguished, but not before it destroyed the entire interior of the vehicle as well as the bed and the tires.
Here are some images of the aftermath from Atlanta News First:
The local news reported that the fire authorities believe the battery pack started the fire, but it is still under investigation.
As we have previously reported, there have been a few other instances of Cybertrucks catching on fire in the last few months, but it was after crashes.
The Cybertruck explosion yesterday appears to have been foul play – although the situation is still under investigation.
Electric vehicle batteries can sometimes catch on fire, but statistically, they don’t catch on fire at a higher rate than fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
We recently reported that Tesla is having an issue with the Cybertruck’s battery pack. Tesla has referred to the problem as “cell dent.” Tesla is having to replace battery packs in many Cybertrucks, including some sitting at its lots, but there’s no evidence that this issue is linked this specific fire at this time.
Tesla has yet to issue a service bulletin or recall about this issue despite changing the battery pack of a few customers over it.
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If you own a Lucid EV, try saying “Hey Lucid” next time you drive it and see what happens. Lucid (LCID) launched a new AI assistant that allows you to interact with your vehicle in new ways. Here’s how it works.
Lucid launches new AI assistant for EV drivers
The new Lucid Assistant is a hands-free voice assistant powered by SoundHound Chat AI. The Chat AI platform was the first of its kind to go into production with integrated AI voice assist.
Like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple Siri, drivers can wake up their new AI assistant by saying, “Hey, Lucid.” From there, they can ask almost any question about sports, stocks, weather, etc., and get a response in real-time. The assistant also enables them to control various features, such as Navigation.
Have a question about your EV? With access to its full manual, you can also ask it anything about the vehicle’s functionality. Many Lucid Assistant features can be used without a cellular connection.
“Developing Lucid Assistant in cooperation with SoundHound enables us to deliver much more than a voice control feature,” Lucid’s Head of Software Engineering, Dr Jean-Philippe Gauthier, explained. He added that with frequent OTA updates, “Lucid Assistant can grow” with new functions and capabilities.
SounHound AI’s COO, Michael Zagorsek, boasted, “We believe that SoundHound’s best-in-class voice technology opens up unlimited new opportunities for both drivers and OEMs, and will fundamentally change the way we interact with our vehicles into the future.
The company uses a proprietary approach to reduce the risk of “AI hallucinations” or misleading responses that many LLM (Large Language Models) use.
Instead, its technology ensures that the assistant uses the correct response from the most appropriate domain, such as generative AI or real-time.
Lucid had its third straight quarter with record EV deliveries in Q3. It also just launched its first electric SUV, the Gravity. The company will report Q4 and 2024 delivery numbers shortly, so stay tuned for more.
After securing a partnership to supply its advanced EV powertrain tech to Aston Martin in 2023, Lucid’s CEO Peter Rawlinson said the company is in active talks with “a couple” of automakers last month over similar partnerships.
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The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation today reported record-breaking numbers in its monthly update for US EV sales and public charger availability in November 2024. Let’s break it down.
EV sales keep on climbing
November 2024 was a big month for EVs. A total of 141,442 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) were sold, which includes 117,929 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 23,513 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). That’s an 11.5% increase from November 2023.
As of the end of November, over 1.4 million PEVs had been sold – an impressive 9% jump compared to the same period in 2023. PEVs now account for 10.4% of all light-duty vehicle (LDV) sales, up from 9.4% in 2023 and 6.8% in 2022.
New players like the Honda Prologue and Chevrolet Equinox EV are reshaping the market. Their sales rose 65% and 69%, respectively, from October to November. Ford also had a standout month, with Mustang Mach-E sales soaring 79% and the F-150 Lightning cracking the top 10 with a 96% jump.
More EV chargers, more confidence
Charging availability is keeping pace with EV sales. In November, 2,490 public EV charging ports were added nationwide – a 1.2% increase in the US network.
Among those, 14 new NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) stations went online, adding 56 fast-charging ports in Ohio, Hawaii, New York, and Texas. As of now, the US boasts:
- 205,000 charging ports across 74,500 locations
- 289 federally funded ports, including NEVI, CFI, and RAA program chargers
And that’s the tip of the iceberg – projects are underway to deploy over 24,000 federally funded chargers.
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Read more: ‘EVs right now are the best deals in the market’ – Kelley Blue Book
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