The much-awaited Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan was formally launched in China on March 29, and within 24 hours, it received 88,898 confirmed orders as revealed by the company. The customers were required to pay 5,000 yuan ($850/ PKR 2.36 lac) to book the vehicle.
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC), a state-owned company, is a contract manufacturer for Xiaomi. The Xiaomi SU7 will be produced at the new Xiaomi facility in Beijing by BAIC Off-road Vehicle Co., a subsidiary of BAIC, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MITT).
Related: Xiaomi SU7 Launched, Priced from $29,900
According to Xiaomi, mass production of the SU7 has already commenced and customer deliveries will commence by the end of April. The Xiaomi Beijing plant has an annual manufacturing capacity of 150,000 vehicles in the first phase, which expands to 300,000 in the second phase. Given that production has not yet achieved max capacity, Xiaomi will have 8 months of full production in 2024, allowing it to produce approximately 100,000 cars, possibly slightly more provided there are no major issues with shifts on production lines. The company having received nearly 90,000 definite orders in the first 24 hours is almost certain to have its order book well over 100,000 units after 48 hours.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, just revealed that the base price of 215,900 yuan ($29,900) was decided a night before the launch, and the aim was to undercut the Tesla Model 3 by 30,000 yuan ($4,100). Tesla Model 3 costs 245,900 yuan ($34,600) in China for the base model. The SU7 is available in 3 key trims each with different battery configurations with the flagship variant boasting 800 km of driving range, 0-100km/h time of just 2.78 seconds, and a top speed of 265 km/h, all thanks to 800V architecture, 101kWh battery and a dual motor AWD setup for a price tag of 299,900 yuan ($41,500).
Xiaomi has already shown the SU7 to the European audience earlier this year, highlighting its intentions to launch the electric sedan in the international markets. That being said, the company needs to gear up to fulfill the massive orders on time given the extraordinary response it has received in China.
Related: Xiaomi CEO Drove an SU7 from Beijing to Shanghai
But Xiaomi is not going to be contended by introducing just one car to represent its automotive venture. According to sources, Xiaomi’s upcoming model will be a mid-sized EREV SUV, however, the launch timeline hasn’t been disclosed yet.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
