Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun teases price of SU7 electric car as showrooms in China begin displaying vehicle
- The ‘best looking, easiest to drive and smartest car’ will be priced below 500,000 yuan (US$69,424), CEO Lei Jun says
- The SU7 will come in two versions – one with a driving range of up to 668km on a single charge and another with a range of up to 800km
Xiaomi’s CEO said on Monday his goal for the firm’s first electric vehicle (EV) was that it would be the “best looking, easiest to drive and smartest car” priced below 500,000 yuan (US$69,424), as the Chinese electronics maker gears up for orders this week.
The company will on Thursday evening announce its official price range and start taking orders for the car, dubbed the SU7, with the SU short for Speed Ultra. CEO Lei Jun’s comments, made on his official Weibo account, mark the first time the company has confirmed the upper end of its price range.
Anticipation for the car has been building up since Xiaomi unveiled the vehicle in December and announced it aimed to become one of the world’s top five carmakers. Lei has touted it as having technology capable of delivering acceleration better than Tesla cars and Porsche’s EVs.
Xiaomi stores in China also began displaying the car on Monday, with prospective customers and car bloggers lining up to get a close view of the “ocean blue” version. In addition, the company uploaded its “Xiaomi Car” app to Chinese app stores.
12:53
‘Overtaking on a bend’: how China’s EV industry charged ahead to dominate the global market
The SU7 will come in two versions – one with a driving range of up to 668km on a single charge and another with a range of up to 800km. By comparison, Tesla’s Model S has a range of up to 650km.
