Xiaomi’s venture into automotive industry takes a significant stride as the company’s latest models, SU7 and SU7 Max, makes its debut in the latest catalog from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The listed entity is Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC), marked by the distinctive “Beijing Xiaomi” emblem on the rear.

Sources from Xiaomi’s car supply chain suggest an imminent small-scale trial production phase, hinting at the first model’s market introduction in February 2024, reported by UDN News.

As per the disclosure, the cars boast a 3,000mm wheelbase. SU7 will feature Fdbatt’s lithium iron phosphate batteries, and SU7 Max is complemented by CATL’s ternary lithium batteries. Interestingly, the smart driving features will not include an optional optical radar package.

The catalog showed Xiaomi’s car brand as Xiaomi, while the declared corporate entity is Beijing Automotive Group Off-Road Vehicle Co., Ltd. (BAIC ORV). The product’s rear proudly displays “Beijing Xiaomi.”

Despite leveraging BAIC’s production qualifications, Xiaomi’s car has its declared production address at the site of its self-established factory.

The car factory’s construction unfolds in two phases, with the first, covering approximately 720,000 square meters, achieving an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles by June 2023. The second phase is slated to commence in 2024, concluding in 2025. Public records confirm the successful acceptance inspection of Xiaomi’s car first phase factory workshops on June 12.

Xiaomi Group Chairman Jun Lei’s October announcement highlighted smooth progress, anticipating an official launch in the first half of 2024.

Since Lei’s announcement of Xiaomi’s foray into smart cars, industry observers have closely monitored Xiaomi’s car dynamics. Internal sources reveal that Xiaomi’s car will leverage ICT industry experience to enhance operational efficiency across research, production, supply, and sales.

Xiaomi plans a US$10 billion investment in the automotive sector over the next decade. Operating in a wholly-owned model, Xiaomi aims to provide users with a comprehensive smart ecosystem and enrich their smart living experiences.

At the October Xiaomi product launch, the introduction of the HyperOS was a highlight, applicable not only to mobile devices but also set to feature in Xiaomi’s cars.

A notable addition revealed by National Business Daily, citing a supplier who visited Xiaomi’s car factory, is that the four major manufacturing process production lines (stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly) in Xiaomi’s car first phase factory are operational, engaging in small-scale trial production. With mass production scheduled to commence in December, Xiaomi’s car is poised for market launch in February next year.

(Image: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology)

According to IJIWEI’s news, during the Huawei Smart Mobility Conference held on November 9, Huawei, in collaboration with Chery, unveiled its first smart electric sedan, the Luxeed S7. Priced at a starting pre-sale cost of 258,000 RMB. Huawei had previewed the release of Luxeed S7 during a product launch event held on September 25th. “It will be superior to Tesla’s Model S in various aspects,” said Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei.

The vehicle is produced on a new platform using Huawei’s smart automotive solution. It features the Huawei’s turing intelligent chassis, HarmonyOS 4 smart cockpit, and the advanced Huawei ADS 2.0 intelligent driving assistance system.

The Huawei ADS 2.0 advanced intelligent driving system is highlighted for its cutting-edge perception capabilities, obstacle recognition and processing abilities, and advanced features in intelligent driving and smart parking. The ADS 2.0 achieves a leading experience with nationwide map-agnostic driving, intelligent parking assistance, and continuous improvement over time, making it a top-tier intelligent driving system.

In terms of appearance, the Luxeed S7 incorporates an entirely new OneBox design to maximize the interior space, achieving a cabin space utilization rate of 88%. Richard Yu mentioned that after numerous internal discussions about pricing, it was found that all four versions of this car would incur losses. The hope lies in later substantial shipments of the car to offset these losses.

According to the introduction, the Luxeed S7 offers an impressive 800 kilometers of range, and a quick 15-minute charge can cover 400 kilometers. Richard Yu stated that in terms of energy consumption, the Luxeed S7 once again leads the industry with an energy consumption of 12.4 kWh per 100 kilometers.

Yu further mentioned that Huawei supports its partners in achieving commercial success through three cooperation modes: component supply mode, solution mode, and Huawei Smart Car mode. Currently, Huawei’s Smart Car model has four partner companies, including Seres, Chery, JAC Motors, and BAIC Group.

Currently, the Aito Series, including the M5, has seen cumulative deliveries surpass 120,000 vehicles, with the newly introduced M7 series achieving a cumulative sales total of 86,000 units. Even before its official release, the upcoming Aito Series M9 has received more than 25,000 pre-orders.

According to the introduction, Huawei’s Smart Travel Solution represents a strategic advancement in the Huawei Smart Choice Car model. It aims to leverage Huawei’s over 30 years of intelligent incremental component products in the ICT domain, technological solutions, and Huawei’s quality control, sales service, and brand marketing experiences accumulated over more than ten years in consumer businesses, deeply empowering partners to pioneer a new era of smart vehicles.

(Photo credit: Flickr)