Surprise: Xiaomi's electric car will be 10% cheaper than Tesla

• Published date: 07 April 2024
• Author: UDI ETZION/WALLA!
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The car, which was revealed with initial photos and details, will be marketed in three different drive versions and prices. With a length of 4.997 meters, width of 1.96 meters, height of 1.455 meters, and a wheelbase of 3 meters, it is larger than the Tesla Model 3, which it directly competes with, also positioning it against BYD Sil, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and ORA 07 which will be launched soon in the country

In contrast to many other Chinese cars, the rear trunk has a volume of 517 liters, the front has 105 liters, and the passenger compartment has a cooler for drinks and food with a volume of 4.7 liters.

Competitors' top executives attended the launch event: William Li, CEO of NIO, He Xiaopeng, CEO of Xpeng, and Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, which has not yet been sold in the country. "All of them have made us many offers in recent years to avoid pitfalls on the road during the development of the electric vehicle", admitted in his speech to guests Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi.

Another reinforcement player was former BMW design department head, Chris Bangle, who now serves as a consultant to Xiaomi. "What impressed me was how strong the SU7 is. It will be a great car when it arrives in Europe", he concluded.

The selection includes three propulsion systems. The basic model, the standard, starting at $30,000, has a 73.6 kWh battery made by BYD and an estimated range of 525 km according to European standards. With a single engine with a power output of 299 hp and torque of 40 kgm rear-wheel drive, the basic Xiaomi accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds on its way to a maximum speed of 210 km/h.

The Pro model costs $4,000 or 13.3% more and comes with a 94.3 kWh CATL battery. The estimated range according to...