Smartphone brand Xiaomi to launch first electric car in March
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Shortly after Apple gave up on its plans to build an electric car, rival smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has announced that its own electric car in March is set to go on sale later this month.
Lei Jun, founder of the Chinese company best known for its budget digital devices, announced the launch date of March 28 for the SU7 saloon on the social network Weibo on Tuesday.
Xiaomi, which announced its automotive ambitions three years ago, has jointly developed the SU7 with Chinese car manufacturer BAIC.
The announcement comes as details of Apple's ill-fated electric car plans are still emerging after the company halted several years of efforts to expand into the automotive sector.
China is the world's most important market for electric cars and is therefore highly competitive, with Chinese manufacturer BYD and US rival Tesla among those fighting for market leadership.
In addition, numerous new Chinese electric car brands have emerged in recent years. Many of these companies have been offer large discounts on their vehicles in order to stay in business.
The SU7, unveiled in December, is designed for buyers looking for a quick, upmarket sports utility with its Porsche look-a-like styling.
On the road, the SU7 is quick off the mark, with acceleration 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. A full charge of the 74-kilowatt-hour battery is enough to transport the car and its occupants for up to 668 kilometres, according to the manufacturer.
Charging is carried out using 400-volt technology, which should enable short downtimes at the charging station. The cabin features a 16.1-inch 3K central console, a 56-inch HUD head-up display, a 7.1-inch rotating dashboard, and two seat-back extension mounts that allow for the mounting of two tablet devices.
Xiaomi is set to offer two versions, with lidar which enables autonomous driving, and without. Lidar is a form of three-dimensional laser scanning of the road ahead and it is installed behind the front windscreen.
Two storage areas provide a lot of space for luggage in the SU7. The rear boot can swallow up to 517 litres, and the front storage compartment takes another 105 litres.
