Chinese electric vehicle startup Xiaomi has finally launched its first-ever offering, the SU7, which is cheaper than the popular Tesla Model 3.
“Many people ask me who the Xiaomi SU7 is built for. My answer is, isn’t it time for Tesla Model 3 users to upgrade?”
Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun said during the live launch event
To further attract customers, the smartphone giant also introduced a new phone model to match the new electric sedan.
Xiaomi opens pre-orders
Xiaomi initiated a live event for the launch of the new SU7 electric sedan in the Chinese market at a venue in Beijing near its factory on Thursday.
The new Chinese electric automaker announced that the base price of the SU7 is only 215,900 yuan ($29,875), undercutting the Tesla Model 3 by a notable $4,000. Refer to the table below:
| Xiaomi SU7 Trim | Standard | Pro | Max |
| Starting MSRP | RMB 215,900 ($29,875) | RMB 245,900 ($34,000) | RMB 299,900 ($41,500) |
Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi has already started accepting pre-orders for the electric sedan, including 5,000 units of the SU7 and SU7 Max’s “Founders” version.
Apart from the Standard, Pro, and Max trims, Xiaomi also launched the limited Founders Edition with only 5,000 units. The company said that these limited edition units were the first built.
Impressively, the Xiaomi SU7 has already received more than 50,000 firm orders in just 27 minutes since sales opened at 10 pm Beijing time Thursday, CNBC reported.
The full livestream record is available on the company’s Weibo page.
Key specifications
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun emphasized that the SU7, with a 700-km battery range, is cheaper than the Tesla Model 3. Despite its affordability, he noted that 90% of the new electric sedan’s specifications surpass those of the Tesla EV.
“We have benchmarked our car with [Tesla’s] Model 3…”
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun
Presented below are the key specifications of the new Xiaomi SU7:
| Xiaomi SU7 Trim | Standard | Pro | Max |
| Architecture | 400V | 400V | 800V |
| Powertrain | RWD | RWD | AWD |
| Battery | 73.6 kWh BYD Blade | 94.3 kWh CATL Shenxing | 101 kWh CATL Qilin |
| CLTC Range | 700km (435 miles) | 830km (516 miles) | 800km (497 miles) |
| Power | 299 hp (220 kW) | 299 hp (220 kW) | 673 hp (495 kW) |
| Torque | 400 Nm | 400 Nm | 838 Nm |
| 0-100km/h Acceleration (0-62mph) | 5.28 seconds | 5.70 seconds | 2.78 seconds |
| Top Speed | 210 km/h (130.5 mph) | 210 km/h (130.5 mph) | 265 km/h (165 mph) |
| Fast Charge Time (10-80%) | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 19 minutes |
| 15-minute DC charge | 350km (218 miles) | 350km (218 miles) | 510km (317 miles) |
Apart from these remarkable technical specifications, the new Xiaomi SU7 also boasts advanced technology. These include the following:
- Head-up display
- Pilot Pro ADAS with vision (Pilot Max with vision and LiDAR on the top two trims)
- A mini fridge add-on
- A Dolby Atmos sound system (Max trim)
Xiaomi gambles losing an unspecified amount for every car it would sell
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun admitted that the company will sell each vehicle at a loss due to the SU7’s lower-than-expected pricing.
Nonetheless, it is indeed a notable feat, considering that the startup entered a very competitive market in China. Many players have been launching new models and cutting prices to stay competitive.
Xiaomi plans to kick off SU7’s deliveries in the Chinese market by the end of April. It will undergo production at a factory with fully automated manufacturing lines, enabling the company to build one unit every 76 seconds.
