These are the first pictures of Xiaomi’s 650+ hp EV, the SU7
The first images of Xiaomi’s SU7 EV have been published by a Chinese government regulatory agency, showing off the car in advance of its official public debut. Alongside the images, various specifications in the regulatory filings are being reported, such as the car’s size, weight, power output, manufacturer, and available models at launch.
According to the filing (via CarNewsChina), Xiaomi will not actually be building the car — Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC) will. BAIC is a government-owned Chinese car manufacturer and will be producing the SU7 on contract. This was previously rumored over a year ago, and today’s news confirms it.
Beyond that, we’re getting a sense of where the SU7 will be positioned in the vehicle landscape. With a 118″ wheelbase and fastback roofline (though a faux-hatch trunk), the SU7 seems closest to the Tesla Model S’s packaging, albeit with a slightly longer wheelbase than that car. That’s not very surprising given the extreme popularity of long-wheelbase versions of mid-size luxury sedans in China, the market this car is undoubtedly seeking to court. On overall length, the SU7 is actually just shy of a Model S (a difference of less than 30mm), so the two seem like prime points of comparison.
While we have power specifications and curb weights, range and battery capacity weren’t included in the filings. The single-motor RWD variant of the SU7 will produce around 295 hp and weigh around 4,365 lbs. The premium AWD dual-motor version makes 663 hp and weighs a substantially heftier 4,861 lbs (presumably owing not just to the extra motor but to a larger battery). We do know battery chemistries between the two models are different, with the cheaper car getting a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack and the premium trim using nickel manganese cobalt (NMC). Previous leaks indicated an 800-Volt architecture and 100kWh battery, the latter likely referring to the higher-end model.
Based on images from the regulatory filing, we can also see that some trims of the SU7 will feature a rather bulbous lidar array on the roof of the car, presumably to provide driver assistance and autonomy features — though it’s not clear what level of autonomy the SU7 will actually be capable of. The specific trims available at launch are the SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max, which do make this car sound more like a smartphone than a luxury sedan. There will also apparently be a Founders Edition subvariant (badging is visible on the photos), because of course there will.
Given Xiaomi is a Chinese brand with an ecosystem of products and services largely marketed to Chinese customers, it’s unclear if the company has any plans to sell the SU7 outside its home country. With state-owned BAIC doing Xiaomi’s manufacturing, that does lend credibility to the car launching sooner rather than later, and Xiaomi allegedly wants the car to be available starting in early 2024, with manufacturing beginning before the end of 2023.
Electrek’s take
Hodge-podge of styling elements aside (I see Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Stinger on this car, for a start), the Xiaomi SU7 definitely seems set to raise eyebrows with its available high-output model, lidar-assisted autonomy features, and Xiaomi-developed in-car software. Of course, two big details are omitted in today’s not-leak: Range and pricing.
I’ll personally be curious to see what level of improved integration Xiaomi will be able to provide owners of its smartphones with this car, though I suspect many of those things will only ever be relevant to China-market customers. While Xiaomi does sell phones in a long list of countries around the world, its larger “Mi ecosystem” of products and services is mostly a China play. And with BAIC building the car, it’s unclear just how much of this car will be Xiaomi versus BAIC. Xiaomi has a long history of slapping its name on products the company doesn’t meaningfully contribute to from an engineering and development standpoint. (That’s basically what the “Mi ecosystem” is — white-label branding.)
Given Xiaomi has essentially zero brand recognition in the United States, it seems exceptionally unlikely this car will ever come to the US market. The company has much more popularity in Southeast and Central Asia, but these aren’t regions where luxury EVs are particularly relevant to most consumers. Perhaps its best hope outside Asia, then, is Europe, where Xiaomi is surprisingly dominant in certain countries (e.g., Spain, Denmark, Greece, Belgium). The problem is that dominance leans heavily toward the value segment of the market — not exactly the kind of people who are buying a big, expensive EV. Xiaomi’s brand is built on delivering high value relative to product capability, and that’s far easier to do in the heavily commoditized, high-turnover world of smartphones. There’s only so much you can do to make a full-size EV cost-accessible, and I sincerely doubt Xiaomi and BAIC will be able to wave a magic wand to deliver world-beating pricing (at least outside China).
Perhaps the largest impact a car like the SU7 will have on the broader market is in driving the discussion of technology companies building their own vehicles. Apple has long flirted with the idea of its own car, and with global smartphone growth plateauing, consumer tech brands will likely be eyeing the success of Xiaomi’s outsourced manufacturing arrangement with great interest.
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The Canadian home improvement chain picked up a pair of Volvo VNR Electric semi trucks, and it’s putting them to work on last-mile delivery routes in the Greater Toronto Area.
This month, the Canadian home improvement retailer Home Hardware began operating two Volvo electric semi trucks out of its St. Jacobs, Ontario truck depot. The pair of trucks will fulfill last-mile deliveries throughout the area, and mark the company’s first step towards transitioning its entire fleet to zero-emission vehicles.
The Volvo VNR trucks have an operating range of 442 km (about 275 miles). Their delivery routes will take them from Home-brand stores within a 100-150 km (about 90 miles) radius of the St. Jacobs distribution centre.
“We are proud to introduce our new battery-electric trucks to our privately-owned fleet,” said Kevin Macnab, president and chief executive officer, Home Hardware Stores Ltd. “Recognized by the Private Motor Truck Council as Safest Large Fleet, as well as Trucking HR Canada as a Top Fleet Employer and a Fleet of Distinction, Home Hardware Stores, Ltd. is committed to forward-thinking logistics that evolve our supply chain to best support our dealers so they can serve their communities.”
Home Hardware debuted their new Volvo VNR Electric trucks at the company’s 60th anniversary celebration and annual franchise event, the Home Hardware Homecoming, held last week in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Electrek’s Take
Home Hardware is the latest in a growing list of companies – and they’re already adding to the tally of tens of millions of all-electric, zero emission miles driven by Volvo customers. By the time Volvo rolls out its next-generation VNL and FH electric semis next year, it will be the company’s third generation of Class 8 EVs, and it will be backed by more than 100,000,000 miles of real-world data collected by thousands of trucks across dozens of companies.
Is that an insurmountable head start for companies like Tesla to make up? It’s hard to know (and my brain is broken, anyway), but I invite you to check out this episode of Quick Charge recorded a few weeks ago (below) talking about Volvo Truck’s lead, and then share your take on the state of the electric semi truck market in the comments.
Quick Charge
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo Trucks.
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The newest edition to the CAA-Quebec roadside fleet is a fully electric Lion5 flatbed – and the CAA says it’s the first 100% electrique tow truck in service in North America!
Based on the Lion5 medium-duty truck and upfit with a flat bed body developed by XpaK Industries, CAA-Quebec (think AAA, but in Quebec) is marking an important milestone in its 80-history with the deployment of the first electric tow truck in Canada.
“Roadside assistance has always been in CAA-Quebec’s DNA, and it goes without saying that we are taking the lead in electric towing. We have a responsibility to set an example and take a leadership role in protecting the environment,” said Marie-Soleil Tremblay, president and CEO.
As far as the truck itself goes, the Lion5 chassis is packed with 210 kWh of in-house, 800V battery packs. Those are good for a range of up to 310 km (a touch over 190 miles) courtesy of an energy-efficient, high-torque electric motor putting 315 hp that Lion Electric claims can eliminate between 75 and 100 metric tons of greenhouse gas per year compared to a comparable diesel truck.
What’s more, the Lion5-based tow truck promises to reduce CAA-Quebec’s energy (read: fuel) costs by about 80%, and regular maintenance costs by about 60% compared to gas or diesel vehicles in the same class.
“With this new 100% electric, made-in-Quebec tow truck, we are helping to redefine the future of the towing industry,” said Patrick Gervais, VP Trucks and Public Affairs at Lion. “We are proud to be part of a cleaner and more sustainable future with players like CAA-Quebec and XpaK.”
The Lion5 tow truck was delivered in July, and will spend a year being put through its paces in a multitude of towing situations and extreme weather conditions. CAA-Quebec’s roadside assistance service will share its experience with partners throughout Canada and the AAA in the US.
Electrek’s Take
“Electrek’s Take” is where we put our industry experience to use interpreting the news we report. Here, in an article about a “first ever” new commercial segment being entered by a highly visible EV, I probably should be talking about operating costs, “dollars and sense,” and the importance of stabilized costs for a fleet manager’s projections.
Instead, I’m just going to picture some bro-dude’s lifted 4×4 Ram pickup getting hauled out of a parking spot he’s ICE’d and giggle a bit. You try it, too, and let me know if it made you smile in the comments section.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Lion Electric, via TowCanada.
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Best known in the US as the OEM behind Nikola, Italian truck brand IVECO entered the 2.5 to 3.5 ton medium duty commercial van segment at this week’s IAA Transportation conference with this: the eMoovy electric chassis cab.
Co-developed with Hyundai and riding on a modified platform of the Korean brand’s Staria ST1 van, the IVECO eMoovy is entering a red-hot commercial EV space with a 215 hp electric motor and either a 63 kWh or 76 kWh battery good for up to 199 miles of range.
The IVECO version leverages the Hyundai’s excellent 800V architecture. That means the eMoovy supports ultra-fast 350 kW charging and V2x functionality, so it can be used to back up a job site, supply power to workers, or even power a home (presumably).
A long time coming
We’ve known than a commercialized IVECO version of the Hyundai van (which isn’t sold as an EV, that I’m aware of) has been in the works for some time. In fact, Peter Johnson wrote about the 2022 deal way back in February.
In that article, Peter wrote that, while Hyundai would develop and build the chassis, IVECO would customize the electric vans to suit broader commercial markets and distribute the vehicles throughout its network. If that sounds familiar, that’s because (on the surface, at least) the deal seems pretty similar to the one IVECO has with Nikola … which begs the question: will Nikola get an eMoovy variant to sell in the US?
The new electric van will directly target Ford E-Transit customers in Europe, so there’s no reason to believe it won’t be an attractive alternative for commercial fleets on this side of the pond, as well – especially with the “big rig” street cred that could come with the Nikola association.
Electrek’s Take
The commercial EV market is driven by dollars and cents. If EVs have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than their gas or diesel counterparts? They’ll continue to sell, and their market share will continue to grow. The only question Hyundai and IVECO need to answer is whether North American truck buyers be more likely to buy a Hyundai-branded van, or a Nikola one.
We asked a similar question to Kia’s James Bell on Quick Charge a few weeks back. Listen to his response to those questions, below, then share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Kia’s James Bell on Electrek Quick Charge
SOURCE | IMAGES: IVECO, CarScoops.
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