The first Xiaomi Electric Car produced by Xiaomi might start rolling off the assembly line as early as 2024. It would be a sub $30,000 vehicle that is entirely electric. The CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, hopes to make his mark on this industry over the next ten years.
Although Xiaomi is mostly known for its phones, this may change. Today, we have information on the company’s car debut. The brand does want to enter the electric vehicle industry.
According to NotebookCheck, the Chinese company is progressing on the correct path. Following fruitless negotiations with the Beijing Automotive Group Co (BAIC), Xiaomi have made the decision to establish its own plant in China to produce its cars. A procedure that is atypical for the sector.
Xiaomi Electric Car will be a 4-door Sedan with LiDAR
According to a report by local Chinese media, the upcoming Xiaomi EV will actually be a 4-door sedan and it will hit the upper price limit and even go way over it. The top range car with all the options will be priced well over the RMB 300,000 unfortunately.
Xiaomi is learning really quickly that the automotive supply chain is far more complicated to navigate than it is used to. Unlike the phone industry, the automotive world of supplies is affected by so many factors that the company is struggling to control the costs.
With the Chinese EV market developing as fast as it does right now, it puts Xiaomi in a difficult position. It won’t launch its car earlier than 2024 but it has to ensure that by that time, its car will be competitively designed, equipped and priced. The company quickly realized that making a cheap car won’t achieve that goal.
Xiaomi is betting the future of its car on its autonomous abilities and its software solutions. The company has agreed to use LiDAR sensors supplied by Hesai Technology who specialize in autonomous robotics. Hesai’s hybrid solid-state LiDAR sensor AT128 is Xiaomi’s choice for the main sensor, it will be supported by additional all-solid-state radars to offer highest level environment awareness for the car’s autonomous system.
The choice of solid-state LiDAR sensors over the hybrid ones offers a much bigger viewing (reception) angle which makes them much better at covering blind spots. It’s an expensive choice but offers superiority to Xiaomi’s setup over the competition. The Hesai’s AT128 LiDAR sensor is used by Li Auto in its Li L9 SUV which just debuted in China.
The chairman Lei Jun is convinced the last word in electric vehicles belongs to autonomous driving, the company’s recent presentation of its technology showed a true leap in progress. Xiaomi has one of the biggest budgets in the automotive industry, when it comes to autonomous driving development and it already employs a big team of some of the most prominent people in that field.
Xiaomi Electric Car Prototype
Xiaomi’s founder, Lei Jun, is expected to unveil the first EV prototype that Xiaomi has been working on, sometime in August. That car has been designed by HVST Automobile Design, who were responsible for the Maven concept car from WM Motor.
After the unveiling takes place, the prototype is destined for extensive road testing, and we can potentially expect a Xiaomi car PR campaign to kick off.
Even in China, the actual production of these EVs is still some time off. The Xiaomi Auto manufacturing plant and R&D centre still need to be built in China’s Yizhuang province.
Experts and journalists believe that the plant and test centre would be completed by the end of the year and that Xiaomi’s first road-worthy cars that a consumer can buy, will leave its production line in sometime 2024.
Xiaomi Electric Car Launch: 2024
By 2024, Xiaomi hopes to launch its first car. It would be a 4-door vehicle that is entirely electric. A design that is similar to what Tesla produces. Xiaomi, however, would wager on a lower price than its American rival because the automobile may cost less than $30,000.
The business would include the Xiaomi Pilot, a self-developed autonomous driving system, with its car. Thus, it would provide a secure and automated system as it is based on LiDAR technology. In the automobile business, Xiaomi does not aim to only cover its bases. The company announced investments of $1.5 billion and $10 billion over ten years earlier in the year. This is what it takes to enter a field that is so tightly regulated and outlined.
What Xiaomi would provide in comparison to its competitors is still unknown. Creating cars is a different process from making smartphones. The pricing of cars is a significant problem for the automotive sector, will undoubtedly be at the center of the discussion. Manufacturers will need to restore the balance by providing the best quality at cheap costs, which is still very far from being the situation today, as several nations prepare to outlaw new thermal cars. We hope that Xiaomi will enter the market and disrupt it with its affordable, creative offers, just like it did with smartphones.
Xiaomi Electric Car Price
Xiaomi is currently working on the launch of the prototype for its first electric car in August 2022. Xiaomi’s founder and CEO, Lei Jun, is expected to present the car for the first time to the public. According to reports from Sina Tech, Jun is also spending much time at Xiaomi’s automotive headquarters ahead of the launch.
Hyundai Kona Electric vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 2022
Xiaomi’s first car has not yet been leaked, and hence very little is known. However, given that Xiaomi’s auto division now employs former employees of HVST Automobile Design, the Xiaomi electric car could be something to look out for. The vehicle is expected to be showcased as a prototype in August, followed by a testing phase soon after. The vehicle, however, is expected to make it to production only by 2024.
Xiaomi Electric Car range is expected to be around USD 22,300 and will go up to USD 44,600.
Xiaomi Electric Car Price in India
Xiaomi Electric Car range is expected to be around Rs 17.7 lakh and will go up to Rs 35.4 lakh.
Pingback: First Hydrogen Train in World 2022 - Best Electric Vehicle