BEIJING: Competition in the world's biggest car market China is set to further heat up with news that smartphone maker Xiaomi has applied for permission to launch an electric vehicle.
The move was revealed in mid-November by a government website carrying specifications of new vehicles to be approved by the local regulator before going on sale.
Pictures on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website show the SU7, a smooth four-door saloon with more than a passing resemblance to the Porsche Taycan. Various images show bodywork and wheel details.
The electric four-door five-seater SU7 is set to start mass production in December 2023, and deliveries will begin in February 2024, according to Chinese car industry media.
The SU7, reported to be contract-manufactured by the huge Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd (BAIC), is nearly 5 metres long and comes in two versions, one with lidar and one without, the MIIT website reveals.
Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, uses eye-safe laser beams to scan its surroundings in 3D, providing machines and computers with an accurate representation of the surveyed environment. The system is installed behind the front windscreen.
The SU7 is set to come with either a 220kW/295hp motor for the rear-wheel-drive version or as a twin-motor car with 495kW/663hp on tap.
According to CarsNewsChina.com, manufacturers take a dim view of ministry website since it reveals pictures and specifications of the cars they have not yet launched.
