It seems that Xiaomi is not satisfied with just one electric car in its portfolio. Information from China reveals that the smartphone manufacturer is working on two new models: an SUV and an even more economical car.
Xiaomi confirmed that it intends to carve out an important niche in the automotive sector and compete head-to-head with brands such as Tesla, BYD and Volkswagen. It is already doing so with the Xiaomi SU7, a vehicle that has accumulated thousands of pre-orders in China and attracted a lot of interest in the West – but you don't want to stay here.
Xiaomi's plan appears to be written in a hurry, with the source saying that the SUV will be launched by 2025 and the economy car by 2026. The idea is to reinforce its image as an automotive brand to validate milestones like Tesla is doing.
A Xiaomi electric car for 20,000 euros?
If you thought the Xiaomi SU7 was cheap, it's because you didn't know the company's plans. According to the source, the economical electric car scheduled for 2026 would cost around 150,000 yuan (RMB), which, at the current exchange rate, translates into 19,353 euros.
To give you an idea, the Xiaomi SU7 starts at 215,000 RMB, around 27,740 euros. In other words, the supposedly cheap vehicle would represent a saving of 30% compared to the current model. However, we are talking about prices for China, because in Europe it will be different.
Unfortunately, this is the only information about the economic model. The leak does not mention details about the design, technical features or target audience. For now, we have to wait and hope that the price is less than 20,000 euros and that it is a 100% electric vehicle.
A 100% electric SUV is also on the way
The wait is likely to be shorter for a 100% electric SUV. This model would be scheduled for 2025 and would include some changes and suggestions that the company has already collected from users. Xiaomi's goal would be to reach a wider audience, and starting with a larger, more familiar vehicle seems like a good idea.
However, the leak does not mention the price, which suggests that it will not be as prominent a feature as the aforementioned model. A look at the market suggests that the price of Xiaomi's SUV will likely be a little higher than the base version of the SU7. In other words, a value somewhere between 215,000 and 250,000 RMB, which would be between 27,000 and 32,000 euros.
As you can imagine, Xiaomi has not revealed anything about these leaks. Furthermore, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun confirmed that he cannot answer whether an SUV car will be launched in the future, and also didn't say anything about the alleged economical car. However, it confirmed that they will launch more vehicles:
The SU7 is our first car and has already performed very well. I think future cars will definitely be a big step forward.
Said Lei at a Xiaomi conference.
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