Xiaomi unveils ultra-fast SU7 electric sports car to compete with Tesla

The luxury version of the SU7 electric sports car, called SU7 Ultra, has been officially launched by Xiaomi. This new model, priced at around USD 114,000, hopes to take the crown for fastest four-door production car — making a direct play for auto giants such as Tesla and Porsche.

Traditional tech company, otherwise known for its smartphones and home appliances, has since jumped into the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market by offering the SU7 model, a cheaper option, for less than USD 30,000. Lei Jun, China's well-known CEO, took some time to sing praises of the SU7 Ultra during a marathon presentation and highlight its performance chops.

"The car achieves the world's fastest four-door mass produced car, which was part of Xiaomi's vision to build a 'dream car'," Lei explained. According to the SU7 Ultra, it beats the Porsche Taycan Turbo in acceleration as well as top speed, and it claims better performance than Tesla's Model S Plaid (without fully revealing how much better), while losing the range crown to Tesla’s own Model S Plaid, which offers 672 km versus the SU7 Ultra's 630 km.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The SU7 Ultra is being priced at about 814,900 yuan, more than four times the model S Plaid in China. But while giving up on being affordable, it has become among the world’s most expensive cars. The company’s aim is not to compete on price (just) but to play the product’s cool factor.

The SU7 Ultra benefits from a host of high tech components, thanks to an aerodynamic design, performance ceramic brakes, carbon fiber roof. A prototype of the vehicle also reportedly set a record lap time at Germany's Nurburgring, a proven benchmark for automotive performance, before its launch.

Xiaomi says it intends to deliver 120,000 SU7 vehicles by the end of the year. After the unveiling, the company got more than 3,600 orders in the first 10 minutes. We expect the first deliveries of the SU7 Ultra to start in March 2024.

In addition to its new EV, Xiaomi also introduced the flagship Xiaomi 15 smartphone series, which will hit the market on Thursday, further intensifying competition with rivals like Apple and Huawei.