Selling ever more EVs, Xiaomi ramps up factory expansion
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s debut into the EV universe, the SU7, has been a hit in China and is set to easily surpass production goals of 100,000 units one month early. To boost that momentum, driven by ambitions to build a global EV empire, Xiaomi now expects to complete the construction of an expansion of its EV factory in mid-2025, which should ramp up its numbers even more – at least, that’s the aim.
Reuters reports that the second phase of the Xiaomi Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Base is scheduled to be completed on June 15, according to Chinese government-backed National Business Daily.
According to the report, workers were working overtime to finish the project, which is the second phase of a two-part plan to build a factory capable of producing up to 300,000 vehicles. Xiaomi’s factory, as well as its auto unit’s headquarters and sales and research units are all located in Beijing’s Yizhuang New Town, an economic development area outside the city and hotspot for high-tech firms, including company JD.com and Baidu.
Last December, Xiaomi debuted its first vehicle, the SU7, which officially launched in March, offering three versions – Standard, Pro, and Max, with the Standard starting at $30,761. A souped-up hypercar version, the Ultra, has also been unveiled.
The SU7 sedan was designed to compete with the Tesla Model 3, and has quickly emerged as a major EV brand in China, with 70,000 units of the vehicle sold by the end of September since delivery started in March, Reuters reports. Of course, analysts have predicted the company would lose money on its SU7, to the tune of around $10,000 a vehicle, but the smartphone maker has a tidy cash reserve of $15 billion to help it weather the storm.
While facing plenty of competition in China from the likes of BYD, the company has, for one, tremendous brand appeal to the Chinese consumer, who are already familiar with its products and user interfaces. In addition to an alluring price point, the SU7 is a connected car that syncs with other devices. Compared to other EV makers, Xiaomi, too, has an edge on software and a jumpstart on autonomous driving, which it has been testing on roads for a few years.
The company says it plans to invest $10 billion over the next 10 years in building its EV empire, reports have said. By the end of the year, the company expects to expand to 22 sales stores, 135 service centers, and 53 delivery hubs in 59 cities, Electrek’s Scooter Doll reported.
CnEVPost reported earlier this month that Xiaomi had completed its cumulative delivery target of 100,000 units of the Xiaomi SU7 series ahead of schedule in November, with its new target to deliver 120,000 units by the end of 2024.
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Swedish multinational Sandvik says it’s successfully deployed a pair of fully autonomous Toro LH518iB battery-electric underground loaders at the New Gold Inc. ($NGD) New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada.
The heavy mining equipment experts at Sandvik say that the revolutionary new 18 ton loaders have been in service since mid-November, working in a designated test area of the mine’s “Lift 1” footwall. The mine’s operators are preparing to move the automated machines to the mine’s “C-Zone” any time now, putting them into regular service by the first of the new year.
“This is a significant milestone for Canadian mining, as these are North America’s first fully automated battery-electric loaders,” Sandvik said in a LinkedIn post. “(The Toro LH518iB’s) introduction highlights the potential of automation and electrification in mining.”
The company says the addition of the new heavy loaders will enable New Afton’s operations to “enhance cycle times and reduce heat, noise and greenhouse gas emissions” at the block cave mine – the only such operation (currently) in Canada.
Electrek’s Take
From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Sandvik are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.
The combined factors listed above are rapidly accelerating the rate at which machines that are already in service are becoming obsolete – and, while some companies are exploring the cost/benefit of converting existing vehicles to electric or, in some cases, hydrogen, the general consensus seems to be that more companies will be be buying more new equipment more often in the years ahead.
What’s more, more of that equipment will be more and more likely to be autonomous as time goes on.
We covered the market outlook for autonomous and electric mining equipment earlier this summer, and I posted an episode exploring the growing demand for electric equipment on an episode of Quick Charge I’ve embedded, below. Check it out, then let us know what you think of the future of electric mining in the comments.
More EVs means more mines, equipment
SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik, via LinkedIn.
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European logistics firm Contargo is adding twenty of Mercedes’ new, 600 km-capable eActros battery electric semi trucks to its trimodal delivery fleet, bringing zero-emission shipping to Germany’s hinterland.
With over 300 miles of all-electric range, the new Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi truck was designed for (what a European would call) long-haul trucking. Now, after officially entering production at the company’s Wörth plant in Bavaria last month, the eActros 600 is reaching its first customer: Contargo.
With the addition of the twenty new Mercedes, Contargo’s electric truck fleet has grown to 60 BEVs, with plans to increase that total to 90. And, according to Mercedes, Contargo is just the first.
The German truck company says it has plans to deliver fifty (50) of the 600 kWh battery-equipped electric semi trucks to German shipping companies by the close of 2024.
Contargo’s 20 eActros 600 trucks were funded in part by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport as part of a broader plan to replace a total of 86 diesel-engined commercial vehicles with more climate-friendly alternatives. The funding directive is coordinated by NOW GmbH, and the applications were approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.
Electrek’s Take
Electric semi trucks are racking up millions of miles in the US, and abroad. As more and more pilot programs begin to pay off, they’re going to lead to more orders for battery electric trucks and more reductions in both diesel demand and harmful carbon emissions.
We can’t wait to see more.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Contargo, via Electrive.
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