Made in China

Xiaomi SU7: first contact in Beijing with the Chinese electric car out of the chorus

On board the car of the Chinese smartphone and device manufacturer: first impressions and consideration of a car that is already an outsider.

18 July 2024

3' min read

Xiaomi SU7, the first electric car from the Chinese smartphone giant, seems to be a winning bet. It may not have the image of a Porsche or the technological appeal of a Tesla, but it is a project full of interesting ideas that develop a new approach to the connected electric car. While Apple's hypothetical bolide remained little more than creative speculation while Huawei enlisted the help of carmaker Seres to make the Aito M5 SUV, Xiaomi did it all by itself and in a very short time.

The idea of making an electric vehicle came to Beijing-based company CEO Lei Jun just over three years ago, and in a derisory timeframe for this industry, the end result is astonishing. All the more so after climbing aboard the Chinese coupe during a recent visit to the Xiaomi EV Factory in Yizhuang, the hyper modern factory where the SU7 is made.

The feeling is that of sitting behind the wheel of a sleek, brilliant, reliable and innovative car that could more easily be associated with a model from a renowned brand in the world of four-wheelers and is instead the first-born child of a company known worldwide for its mobile phones.

Xiaomi SU7: primo contatto a Pechino con l’elettrica cinese
Photogallery13 foto

A homemade car and done well, all the more so considering the lack of an established tradition in this specific field. Every element has been thought out, engineered and developed by Xiaomi, which has already invested almost 1.4 billion dollars in this project and called in 3,400 engineers and over ten thousand experts and technicians from outside the country. On the other hand, cars are a central element in the development plans of the company which, according to its CEO, wants to become 'one of the top 5 brands among global car manufacturers' within 15 to 20 years.

A tangible example of the commitment to this project are the engines of the Xiaomi SU7 entirely developed from scratch and thermal names. Three in total: HyperEngine V6/V6s, and HyperEngine V8s, a powertrain that the latter will currently be mounted on the 'prototype' version Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, just unveiled by the company, which aims for top performance: 578 horsepower, 27200 rpm and a 0-100 acceleration of just 1.97 seconds.

The real distinguishing feature, more on a conceptual than practical level of the Xiaomi SU7, is the idea that the car is part of a heterogeneous technological universe, becoming almost an extension of the smartphone. It is no coincidence that the Chinese company has developed, and is continuously updating, its HyperOS operating system, which is not only present on the phones but is also the nerve centre of the car.

This software not only manages the in-car entertainment system, but also interacts with various vehicle components, allowing voice commands to adjust seats, temperature, mirror positioning and much more. True ecosystem interoperability also allows you to control your smart home devices remotely from the car, for example by managing lights or viewing your home security cameras on the vehicle's display.

Xiaomi's ambitious idea of a 'smartphone car', i.e. one that is technologically advanced, customisable and integrated into a wider context of devices, could be the Beijing company's winning weapon. The validity of this induction is confirmed by the incredible success that the SU7 is having in China. Since it went on sale at the end of March, it has received a boom of more than 75,000 orders and delivered more than 10,000 units in June alone, but according to company forecasts, sales by 2024 could exceed 120,000.

Success beyond expectations also thanks to a rather aggressive selling price, the basic model costing around 27,000 euro (215,900 yuan). Xiaomi also wants to bring its electric vehicle to Italy, probably next year, although a certain date has not yet been made official.