Watch out Tesla, smartphone builder Xiaomi’s SU7 EV offers 434 mile range for under $30k

Apple may have bailed on its plans to build its own EV, but a Chinese competitor has completed the feat, and on paper, it has the makings to be one helluva first entry into the segment. Today, Xiaomi officially launched its first-ever EV, the SU7 – decked out with advanced battery tech, lightning-fast charging, and a mouth-watering range – all for starting MSRPs that will turn some heads. Oh, the smartphone manufacturer released a new phone model to match the new EV as well.

Although Xiaomi is making its case as a true competitor out of the gate in EVs, it has long been established as a trusted brand in China, manufacturing electronics based on an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, including smartphones, apps, laptops, home appliances, and scooters.

After seeing a decline in consumer electronics sales in the last decade, Xiaomi started turning its sights elsewhere, brainstorming how it could adapt its tech-savvy manufacturing expertise toward new lucrative ventures. It landed on EVs – a booming yet saturated market in China.

By 2021, Xiaomi Automobile was incorporated in China, and in two short years, the company was boasting faster-than-expected progress. By November 2023, we caught our first glimpse of Xiaomi’s first EV model – the SU7. A month later, the electronics company had officially unveiled the SU7 as a challenger to Porsche and who else but Tesla.

In February, Xiaomi shared plans to launch the new SU7 EV in Q2 of this year with hopes of capitalizing on its existing army of 20 million smartphone users. Today, the EV has publicly emerged to much acclaim, garnering an impressive amount of pre-orders in China in a very short window.

Xiaomi held a live launch event for the SU7 EV in China today, posted in its entirety to its Weibo page. There’s a lot of exciting stuff to unfold here, so let’s dig in.

The SU7 arrives at a length, width, and height of 4,997 mm, 1,963 mm, 1,440/1,455 mm, respectively, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Its size is comparable to the Tesla Model 3 (a clear competitor), albeit longer and slightly narrower. More on that in a minute.

Xiaomi shared that the SU7 EV will be sold in three different variants: Standard, Pro, and Max, as well as a limited-run Founders Edition of 5,000 units, of which Xiaomi states were the first built. The Standard and Pro trims sit atop a 400V platform, while the Max variant features an 800V platform, confirming speculation from leaked images we reported back in July 2023. Here’s how the trims vary on the spec sheet:

In addition to impressive specs, the new Xiaomi SU7 EV is decked out with advanced technology, including a head-up display, Pilot Pro ADAS with vision (Pilot Max with vision and LiDAR on the top two trims), a mini fridge add-on, and a Dolby Atmos sound system (Max trim).

What’s most enticing, however, is that future Xiaomi SU7 customers will get the above perks for some ultra-competitive pricing overseas:

Remember that mention of the Tesla Model 3? It’s important to point out that Xiaomi is clearly gunning for the American automaker with the launch of the SU7 EV. For example, the Pro version of the SU7 costs the same as the entry-level Model 3 in China, with significantly better specs. In fact, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun pulled no punches during the live launch event earlier today:

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?

In collaboration with today’s EV event, Xiaomi also launched a new line of smartphones that work with the SU7, complete in colors to match the vehicle’s exteriors (seen above). The hype has been real so far as Xiaomi opened up its books, reporting over 50,000 firm orders in just 27 minutes.

Xiaomi says initial deliveries of the Standard and Pro trims of the SU7 EV will begin in China in April, followed by orders for the Max in late April. Trust we will do everything we can to get a look at this new impressive EV up close soon.