China's Xiaomi reveals first electric car touted to be faster than Tesla
Looks like Tesla has a new competition.
Chinese consumer electronics giant Xiaomi has launched its first electric car that is touted to deliver speeds faster than Tesla cars and Porsche's EVs.
During its reveal, the sedan, dubbed the Speed Ultra 7 or SU7, boasts a "super electric motor" technology that is capable of acceleration that reigns supreme over its competitors.
Its dual-motor AWD setup has a top speed of 210 kilometers per hour and comes in mineral gray, verdant green, and aqua blue colors. SU7 is said to have a 299 ps horsepower equivalent power and max torque of 400 newton-meter.
For its battery, the car is equipped with either the cheaper lithium iron phosphate pack from BYD or the larger 101-kilowatt-hour CATL cell with an 800v hypercharge facility, depending on your choice.
These allow you to drive up to 220 km in five minutes of charging and 510 km in 15 minutes of charging. Overall, it can drive up to 668 km on a single charge, a little longer compared to Tesla's Model S which has a range of up to 650 km. The more powerful SU7 Max can meanwhile drive up to 800 km.
SU7 also offers a shared operating system with the tech company's phones and other electronic devices, allowing users to have seamless access to the existing portfolio of mobile apps.
Aside from these, it is also capable of highway driving assists, self-driving features, and car summoning.
With its latest invention, Xiaomi, which is the world’s fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer, is aiming to become a top automaker in the market.
"By working hard over the next 15 to 20 years, we will become one of the world's top five automakers, striving to lift China's overall automobile industry," Xiaomi Chief Executive Lei Jun said at the unveiling.
The price of the brand-new SU7 has yet to be announced, but Lei said the cost would "indeed be a bit high, but one that everyone will think is justified."
SU7 will begin mass production in the first half of 2024.
