As modern electric cars grow more advanced, the gap between the automotive and technology spaces has gotten smaller and smaller. As such, it’s frankly unsurprising that several of the biggest players in the tech and electronics sectors — including Sony, Apple, and Qualcomm — have co-opted their expertise and applied it to the creation of a state-of-the-art electric car with advanced autonomous driving capabilities. And the latest tech giant to pivot to vehicle development is China’s Xiaomi — a Beijing-based firm founded in 2010 that currently stands as the second largest smartphone manufacturer on earth, second only to Samsung.
Dubbed the Xiaomi SU7, Xiaomi’s inaugural automotive offering is a sleek full-size, all-electric sedan that takes aim squarely at several of today’s leading EVs like the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. Developed over the course of three years by a team comprised of more than 3,400 engineers and over a 1,000 technical experts and consultants, the SU7 is constructed around an advanced chassis design that’s crafted from a proprietary die-casting alloy material, developed by Xiaomi called “Titans Metal”. Boasting a 118” wheelbase and measuring 196.7” in length overall — roughly an inch longer than the Taycan — the SU7 is powered by one of several available “HyperEngine” E-motors developed by Xiaomi. Putting down up to 664hp and 618ft-lbs of torque, these electric motors allow for a 0-60mph time in as little as 2.78 seconds.
The proprietary e-motor system draws from a cutting-edge battery pack that benefits from the use of CTB Integrated Battery tech, a 150-kWh capacity, Inverted Cell Technology, a multifunctional elastic interlayer, and a minimalistic wiring system that collectively deliver an efficiency of 77.8% — the highest of any CTB batteries on the planet. Thanks to an aerodynamic bodywork design with a slippery drag coefficient of 0.195 Cd, the SU7’s batteries afford a range of over 745 miles per charge. What’s more, the SU7 is unsurprisingly brimming with state-of-the-art tech such as the integration of full-stack technologies, an onboard computer with a Snapdragon 8295 in-car chip and an advanced in-car OS, a 16.1” 3K central console, a 56” head-up display, a pair of optional tablets mounted on the back of the front seats, and a super advanced autonomous driving system known as Xiaomi Pilot that utilizes a pair of NVIDIA DRIVE Orin chips.
Scheduled for a release sometime next year — albeit only in select markets — the 2025 Xiaomi SU7 will reportedly start at around CN¥300,000 (~ $42,175).
