Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi has launched its first electric car, a five-seat sedan with a panoramic glass roof.
A document issued by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed that the long-awaited Xiaomi SU7-branded electric car will be manufactured by state-owned Beijing Automotive Group Corporation.
The car has an elegant appearance and has the ability to install a sensor technology called Lidar at the top of the car's windshield to provide advanced driving assistance.
It has a top speed of 265 km/h and is equipped with CATL or BYD batteries, depending on whether it is a single or twin engine.
There are two different types of drive: rear-wheel drive with a 220 kW engine and all-wheel drive with a maximum power of 495 kW.
All Chinese automakers are required to submit their new models to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which publishes a list of products that have received preliminary approval each month and is open for public comment for a week.
Publication of this information does not necessarily correspond to the production schedule. Xiaomi had previously stated that it plans to officially launch electric cars in the first half of next year.
Images published on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website show that both models feature the MI logo on the front and the word “Xiaomi” on the back.
Xiaomi is one of China's leading consumer electronics brands, joining other tech companies like Huawei in the shift to electric vehicles.
These products are becoming increasingly high-tech, with features such as voice control and driver assistance software being very popular with drivers.
Xiaomi-branded electric vehicles are an important part of the company's plan to create a complete ecosystem for its customers. The company updated its operating system for smartphones and other home devices, including electric cars, so that users can control all of its products from a unified platform.
According to a report published on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, a subsidiary of BAIC Motor Group has submitted an application to regulators to produce two Xiaomi-branded electric vehicles.
BAIC Group plans to build two versions of the new Xiaomi brand models. The first is the Xiaomi SU7, which is powered by a BYD lithium iron phosphate battery and has a top speed of 210 kilometers per hour. The second is the Xiaomi SU7 Max phone, which is equipped with a BYD lithium iron phosphate battery. Thanks to CATL nickel-cobalt lithium batteries, the maximum speed can reach 265 kilometers per hour.
The application shows that the manufacturer of both models is BAIC Group, although Xiaomi has built a factory in Beijing with an annual production of 200,000 electric cars.
Xiaomi has listed several vacancies in the automotive sales industry, including vacancies for new energy vehicle sales managers and managers of Xiaomi car dealerships in Beijing and Shanghai.
Reuters reported in August that China's national plan approved Xiaomi's production of electric vehicles, but it still needs approval from the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Xiaomi President Lu Weiping said in late August that Xiaomi's progress in producing electric vehicles was faster than planned.