Xiaomi Car is finally on its way!
Just in, Xiaomi Car has officially set March 28th for its launch event.
"With our three-year commitment, listing means delivery, and delivery means mass production."
Lei Jun himself has also voiced support for Xiaomi Car, stating, "This is our three-year commitment. If you're looking for a car equipped with the most advanced smart technology and excellent driving experience, Xiaomi SU7 will be your top choice."
As soon as the news broke, it immediately hit the trending topics, causing a frenzy among netizens. Some Xiaomi fans even went as far as declaring their love, saying, "I'm willing to stake all my savings and debts to support Xiaomi's entry into the automotive industry."
The biggest price suspense in the automotive industry is finally about to be revealed.
The countdown to purchasing "Mi" has begun.
Let's highlight the key points: immediate delivery upon listing, and delivery means immediate production increase.
According to the poster announced by Lei Jun, on the day of the announcement, reservations for the Xiaomi SU7 have already opened simultaneously in 29 cities and 59 stores nationwide.
We can see that these 59 initial stores have already covered first-tier and new first-tier cities, with most of the second-tier cities also involved. In addition to this, 15 limited-time experiential showrooms have been opened, bringing the total to exactly 74 stores simultaneously open.
Furthermore, netizens have revealed that "all stores will open on the 20th, vehicles will arrive at the stores on the 25th (they have actually been in the warehouse for a while, but not allowed to be taken out), and test drives will begin on the 28th."
Before the official announcement from Xiaomi about their car, there were already tons of images circulating online showing fleets of Xiaomi vehicles on the roads and parked in warehouses. It's evident that Xiaomi was geared up for mass production.
Actually, a day before Xiaomi's official announcement, some netizens had already leaked some information. They mentioned that on March 12th, Xiaomi would unveil the specific date of the car launch event. Additionally, on the evening of the event, pre-orders would open. Customers could place orders by paying a deposit upfront, which would immediately secure their orders. For those who didn't secure their orders with a deposit, there would be a 5-day consideration period during which they could cancel their deposits. After the consideration period, orders would automatically be confirmed, and production would be scheduled based on the order of confirmation.
So, it seems like Xiaomi's talk about deliveries and volume isn't just empty talk. You see, Xiaomi's got quite a potential customer base, believe it or not.
According to well-known automotive blogger Sun Shaojun's disclosure, Xiaomi's already accumulated hundreds of thousands of highly interested prospective customers.
At the same time, there's an unverified rendering of a vehicle circulating, allegedly showing two models of Xiaomi's all-electric sedan, priced at 261,400 CNY and 361,400 CNY respectively.
Interestingly, Xiaomi's official response this time wasn't the usual swift denial, unlike before.
No matter the price, Xiaomi's entry into the automotive market seems imminent. As the critical moment of the SU7 launch approaches, competitors are scrambling, with many offering updates to their products in a bid to compete with Xiaomi's upcoming car.
During the recent Second Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress, Xiaomi's first car, the Xiaomi SU7, made an appearance in the background image of the CCTV News interpretation of the Government Work Report.
At the same time, Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun, who is also a delegate to the National People's Congress, reiterated his commitment to delivering a successful Xiaomi car, stating, "We must do a good job with Xiaomi's car, and not disappoint users across the country."
Despite his unwavering confidence, Lei Jun couldn't deny the challenges of entering the automotive industry after just three years. In an interview during the "Two Sessions," netizens noticed Lei Jun's visible fatigue, with sunken cheeks, heavy eye bags, and an overall weary appearance, a testament to the toll the endeavor has taken on him.
Comparing it to before the Lunar New Year when Lei Jun made donations at Wuhan University, he was full of spirit. But in just three months, it's like he's a different person.
Just when everyone felt sorry for Lei Jun looking haggard due to his efforts in the car manufacturing field, he suddenly posted several personal photos. In these photos, Lei Jun looked completely different, full of energy, as if responding to all the doubts and negativity surrounding Xiaomi.
Actually, Lei Jun's exhaustion period coincides with the crucial period just before the listing of Xiaomi's car division, where all decisions require Lei Jun's approval.
With the launch looming, Lei Jun must go all out. In early February, he announced a temporary farewell to Xiaomi smartphones, relinquishing his role as the main speaker starting from the launch event of Xiaomi 14 Ultra, handing it over to the Group President, Lu Weibing.
Now that the launch date is officially set, Lei Jun might be able to catch his breath briefly, but he'll soon be back on edge again, especially considering the drastic changes in the current automotive market.
Can they survive the price war?
"Internal competition" has become a buzzword in the automotive industry. Economist Fu Peng stated in an interview that this year is the most intense year for price wars in the new energy vehicle market.
With the price war in full swing, there will be winners and losers. Xiaomi's car division must be fully prepared.
Setting aside nostalgia and prestige, what are Xiaomi's car division's chances of success?
Let's revisit some basic information about Xiaomi's cars. Xiaomi's first model, the SU7, is positioned as a high-performance eco-friendly tech sedan in the C segment, with dimensions of 4997mm * 1963mm * 1440mm and a wheelbase of 3000mm.
In a previous Xiaomi Car Technology Conference, Lei Jun announced that the Xiaomi SU7 comes in two versions: the standard version and the Max version.
The Max version features a ternary lithium battery developed over two years by Xiaomi and CATL. It's currently the only four-wheel-drive model in the Chinese market to achieve a range of 800km under CLTC conditions with 101 degrees of power, thanks to the support of an 800V super-fast charging system. With just a 15-minute charge, it can extend its range by 510km.
In terms of power, the Max version comes with dual motors, delivering a peak power of 495 kW, a maximum horsepower of up to 673 PS, and a peak torque of 838 N·m, equivalent to the performance of a 4.0L turbocharged V8 engine. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.78 seconds, firmly placing it in the sub-2-second supercar club.
Lei Jun once stated that Xiaomi's goal for its car is to rival Porsche and Tesla, creating the dream car of a new era in the automotive industry. Interestingly, the day before Lei Jun announced the release date of Xiaomi's car, Porsche introduced the Taycan Turbo GT, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.2 seconds.
I wonder how Mr. Lei is feeling...
The SU7 standard version adopts a single-motor rear-wheel drive configuration, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.28 seconds, and is equipped with a 73.6-degree lithium iron phosphate battery, capable of achieving a range of 668 km under CLTC conditions.
In terms of appearance, the SU7 adopts a coupe-style design, with a streamlined profile on the side and a low-slung overall stance. It features semi-concealed door handles and frameless mirrors, along with multiple aerodynamic channels and an optional electric tailgate. However, it seems that the electric tailgate is an optional feature.
Additionally, according to the information submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, ETC, rearview mirror styles, panoramic glass roofs, wheel hubs, and caliper colors are all available as optional extras.
Let's talk about the smart features of Xiaomi's cars, which might be the most anticipated aspect besides the price, and also one of Xiaomi's key strengths.
According to Xiaomi, they have independently developed smart driving technology from scratch, investing heavily in both funds and manpower. They started with 3.3 billion CNY in the first phase and increased it to 4.7 billion CNY. Their dedicated team for autonomous driving comprises over 1000 people, with over 200 test vehicles deployed and a total testing mileage exceeding 10 million kilometers.
Xiaomi established its AI Lab in 2016, incorporating cutting-edge algorithms such as BEV + Transformer + occupancy network throughout its infrastructure and fully integrating large models.
Technically, they've employed zooming BEV to enhance perception and utilized super-resolution occupancy networks to ensure precision, accurately identifying irregular obstacles and mitigating the impact of rain or snow on occupancy networks. Additionally, Xiaomi's road large model can generate real-time topological structures without relying on high-precision maps to adapt to road changes instantly.
Currently, Xiaomi's Smart Driving (Xiaomi Pilot) enables both highway and urban Navigate on Autopilot (NOA). Previously, Lei Jun demonstrated features like urban NOA and valet parking in a video showcased at a Xiaomi technology event.
In terms of hardware, the Xiaomi SU7 is equipped with two Orin-X chips, a LiDAR, 11 cameras, 3 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, boasting a computational power of 508 TOPS.
However, according to Lei Jun, Xiaomi's greatest advantage lies in its software and ecosystem. "Xiaomi's automotive endeavor represents a crucial step in completing the ecosystem loop of people, cars, and homes," he said.
Based on the underlying interconnected infrastructure of Penglai OS, the Xiaomi SU7 is equipped with a 16.1-inch 3K resolution 16:10 car-mounted "big tablet," providing an immersive interactive experience akin to that of a smartphone or tablet.
Furthermore, leveraging the Penglai OS system, seamless integration between the phone and the car's infotainment system is achievable. For instance, users can seamlessly continue watching a video from their phone on the car's display or switch to full-screen navigation with familiar apps by simply invoking the phone.
Additionally, as demonstrated during Xiaomi's previous "People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem" event, users can control smart home devices such as robot vacuums via voice commands while in the car.
With everything in place, the only thing left is for the Xiaomi SU7 to hit the market with a flourish.
