On December 28th, the 1003rd day after Xiaomi announced its entry into the electric vehicle industry, Xiaomi Automobile held a technical conference, and the first product, SU7, was unveiled. Lei Jun said that Xiaomi Automobile will become the top five automobile manufacturers in the world through 15 to 20 years’ efforts. The price of SU7 was not announced at this conference. Lei Jun only said that it is impossible to sell for 99,000 yuan. "People who say 149,000 yuan should stop talking about it."
To become the top five automobile manufacturers in the world
Before this conference, Xiaomi made a high-profile warm-up, and the big screens of high-rise buildings in several cities lit up the slogan that Xiaomi Automobile paid tribute to the pioneers of the industry.
Lei Jun released Weibo’s feelings about the hardships of building a car, and said: "As a colleague, I admire BYD, Wei Xiaoli and Huawei’s automobile business even more! With such a formal form today, it is enough to express my respect for all the pioneers!
This wave of tribute has brought a lot of traffic to Xiaomi Automobile and made everyone look forward to the press conference on the 28th.
At 2 pm on the 28th, the Xiaomi Automobile Technology Conference officially started. As soon as Lei Jun took the stage, he announced that Xiaomi Automobile’s goal is to rival Porsche and Tesla, build a new era of dream cars in the automobile industry, and make a beautiful, easy-to-open, comfortable and safe mobile intelligent space. He said that Xiaomi Automobile will become the top five automobile manufacturers in the world through 15 to 20 years’ efforts, and strive for the overall rise of China’s automobile industry.
SU7 Unveils CLTC for 800km.
At this conference, Xiaomi SU7 appeared, and the color scheme of "Gulf Blue" was particularly eye-catching, and the "MI" logo in the middle was very eye-catching.
The car is positioned in a pure electric coupe with a body size of 4997*1963*1455 mm and a wheelbase of 3000 mm. It is a medium-sized car. From the outside, the design of the new car is really remarkable. The front face is closed, with huge light groups on the left and right sides, and the internal light source is matrix.
The front of the new car dives, which is very dynamic, with a rounded side shape, a hidden door handle and a simple rearview mirror style. At the same time, it is equipped with 20-size aluminum alloy wheels and bright yellow brake calipers.
The tail is well-defined, and at the same time, a penetrating light group is used, and the letter "xiaomi" is also used in the tail door. The Chinese symbol of Beijing Xiaomi is in the lower left corner of the tail box, and SU7 is in the lower right corner.
In terms of power, the car is available in two versions: two-wheel drive version and four-wheel drive version. The maximum power of the two-wheel drive version is 220kW, while that of the four-wheel drive version is 220kW+275kW. The power batteries are from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited and BYD, corresponding to ternary lithium and Ferrous lithium phosphate respectively.
Lei Jun introduced the battery life of Xiaomi SU7 — — CLTC mileage is 800 kilometers.
Lei Jun mentioned that this model supports 800V super fast charge, 200 km battery life in 5 minutes and 510 km battery life in 15 minutes, which is better than Tesla Model Slaid.
The car offers at least three color schemes. The critical point of "bay blue" from green to blue restores the rich level of seawater; "Yahui" comes from the gray rock stratum of Yadan landform, which is peaceful without losing its advanced level; "Olive green" expresses the implicit beauty of nature, with tension in calmness.
In terms of interior, Xiaomi SU7 provides three interior colors, namely Galaxy Grey, Twilight Red and Obsidian Black, and a wraparound cockpit design, with a vehicle glass area of 5.35m2, which is known as "the industry-leading canopy and front windshield sun protection".
In addition, the car provides physical buttons, a classic steering wheel, a sporty seat, a dynamic atmosphere light and a Dolby sound system.
Positioning "C-class high-performance eco-technology car"
Lei Jun said that Xiaomi’s new strategy is "the whole ecology of people and cars", and Xiaomi Automobile is the most important part.
Xiaomi’s first car was named SU7. Lei Jun said that SU is the abbreviation of Speed Ultra, and high performance is Xiaomi’s gene. Tesla said that it would not build a slow train, and Xiaomi did the same. Lei Jun also said that the performance of SU7 is excellent, and you can pronounce "SU7", just like calling a friend’s name.
Regarding the positioning of SU7, Lei Jun said that the first car represented Xiaomi’s concept of building a car — — Science and technology × ecology, advanced mobile intelligent space. Therefore, Xiaomi SU7 is positioned as a "C-class high-performance eco-technology car".
Lei Jun said that Xiaomi SU7 did not accurately benchmark the vehicle. "We have done a lot of research and hope to be a dream cars that can carry all the aspirations of everyone; In terms of mechanical qualities such as drivability, we hope to be comparable to Porsche Taycan Turbo；; In terms of intelligence, we hope to be comparable to Tesla Model S；; At the same time, there are the most advanced technologies and the richest ecology. "
Super Motor Announces Beyond Tesla
At the Xiaomi Automobile Technology Conference, Xiaomi Automobile also announced the self-developed motor technology.
Lei Jun said that the motor of Xiaomi Automobile will surpass Tesla to create the fastest motor in the world.
This time, Xiaomi Automobile has launched three motors, namely V6, V6s and V8.
It is reported that the speed of V6 and V6s can reach 21000rpm, easily surpassing the motors carried by Tesla Model S paid and Porsche Taycan Turbo.
Among them, the V6 super motor has a maximum power of 220kW, a peak torque of 400N·m, and a maximum horsepower of 299PS, and is built with a 400V architecture.
The V6s super motor has a maximum power of 275kW, a peak torque of 500N·m, and a maximum horsepower of 374PS, and is built with an 800V architecture.
Lei Jun said that Xiaomi V6 and V6s motors have been mass-produced and will be carried on Xiaomi SU7 for the first time.
In terms of the core power battery of electric vehicles, Xiaomi cooperated with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited to launch 800V battery pack, and developed CTB integrated battery technology, which saved a lot of space for electric vehicles.
In terms of battery safety, Lei Jun introduced that Xiaomi adopts the most stringent battery safety standards in the world. "Thermal insulation materials are used for spacesuits and can resist high temperatures above 1000 degrees." In addition, Xiaomi and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited jointly developed the battery cell inversion technology to ensure battery safety. In production, Xiaomi built its own battery pack factory to ensure safe and reliable production.
The level of intellectual driving will enter the first echelon next year.
Lei Jun said that in terms of autonomous driving, Xiaomi has achieved a high-precision map scheme by developing road large model technology, which is more powerful than the old driver. Xiaomi’s intelligent driving level will enter the first echelon of the industry in 2024.
Lei Jun introduced that Xiaomi’s big model can respond to road changes in real time and accurately generate driving guidance lines. Xiaomi’s super-resolution occupies network technology, etc., which can accurately judge abnormal obstacles, such as temporary traffic lights, and can automatically reduce noise in rainy and snowy days. "The parking scene is more accurate, the urban scene is wider, and the recognition range in front of the expressway reaches 250 meters. The range of perception can be dynamically adjusted. "
The smart cockpit was also unveiled at the press conference, 16.1″ Central control ecological screen, 56″ Oversized HUD, tilting instrument screen and Xiaomi Pad can be used as rear expansion screen, original vehicle system and five-screen linkage. Xiaomi 澎湃 OS officially got on the bus, and the interactive experience was consistent with the mobile phone tablet.
The price has not been announced. 99,000 and 149,000 are impossible.
For the first Xiaomi car, the focus of consumers’ attention lies in the pricing range. However, the price was not announced at this conference. Lei Jun just said that it is impossible to sell for 99,000 yuan. "Don’t say anything about people who say 149,000 yuan."
Earlier, many "rice noodles" once hoped that Xiaomi could launch smart cars with a price below 150,000 yuan, and even more "rice noodles" shouted the hope that "Xiaomi cars will start at 69,999 yuan and Redmi cars will start at 39,999 yuan". Recently, Han Lu, a well-known car blogger, revealed that the price of Xiaomi’s first model will exceed 300,000 yuan, and the high-end version is expected to be close to 400,000 yuan. These configurations, including motors, large die casting and battery packs, all have Xiaomi’s self-developed technology. But then, Han Lu deleted this Weibo.
Another analyst said that from the perspective of Xiaomi’s brand positioning, it is impossible for Xiaomi Automobile to pull the price to more than 300,000 yuan. At present, the target user group of Xiaomi automobile is the user group of Xiaomi mobile phone. If the price is too high, it will stimulate the sensitivity of the target group to the price, which will easily lead to the unfavorable start of Xiaomi automobile, which will also lead to a series of problems. On the other hand, it also shows that Xiaomi needs low-priced and explosive models to sprint sales in order to achieve the expected delivery volume. At the same time, Guo Ming, an analyst at Tianfeng International Securities, also predicted that the first model of Xiaomi Automobile listed next year will be priced below 300,000 yuan. Some insiders have previously understood that the Xiaomi coupe listed next year is divided into two models, high and low. The high version is expected to be priced around 300,000 yuan, and the low version is tentatively priced at 199,000 yuan. However, Xiaomi insiders have also said that Xiaomi may make corresponding price adjustments according to market conditions, and this price may not be the final pricing.
An industry insider close to Xiaomi said, "At present, the most uncertain thing about Xiaomi Automobile is the pricing issue. On the one hand, I am afraid that the pricing will be too high and the sales volume will not go up; On the other hand, Xiaomi brand is sprinting to the high-end market, fearing that low pricing will affect the brand image. Secondly, the cost of Xiaomi automobile is not low. Even if the profit rate of the whole vehicle is maintained at 1%, the price will be around 200,000. At present, the pricing of Xiaomi Automobile is uncertain under the consideration of the degree of loss. " At this stage, Xiaomi Automobile is ready to enter the mass production stage after the completion of the publicity by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. However, in the mobile phone market, Xiaomi has labeled itself as "cost-effective" through low price and high performance, but after switching to cars, it refers to the mid-to high-end market. The high price also makes consumers no longer blindly "idolize". Some netizens ridiculed, "If it is so expensive, I can only wait for Redmi Auto."
The first car invested 3400 engineers.
Lei Jun said in an interview that Xiaomi invested 3,400 engineers in the first car, and the entire R&D investment exceeded 10 billion. Xiaomi used more than 10 times of investment. With such assurance, Lei Jun did it in a determined way.
Lei Jun said that he feels that Xiaomi has many natural advantages in making cars, because the essence of smart electric vehicles today is the integration of the automobile industry and the consumer electronics industry, which is a great integration. Therefore, entering the automobile industry is challenging for Xiaomi, and the overall difficulty is controllable.
Lei Jun also said that he felt that there were still a lot of unmet needs in these market areas where Xiaomi was located today, and that Xiaomi had just begun. On the one hand, we take root in the China market, do a good job in internal circulation, and at the same time, we must strengthen our confidence in globalization. Lei Jun feels that this is the road that Xiaomi has chosen, and there are still huge opportunities on this road.
After listing, it faces a "polar" car track.
Although Xiaomi automobile seems to have everything ready at present, it is only the output. However, industry insiders said that after the launch of Xiaomi Automobile, it was faced with a "extremely rolled" car track. On the one hand, head car companies continue to raise funds, unite Lian Heng and expand their power; On the other hand, new energy car companies such as Weimar, Aichi and Baiteng below the waist have been in trouble one after another this year, and even Weilai has announced a 10% layoff.
According to public information, in 2018, there were more than 487 electric vehicle manufacturers in China. By 2023, He Xiaopeng, CEO of Xpeng Motors, revealed that there are only about 50 new car companies operating normally. This means that in five years, more than 430 electric vehicle manufacturers have disappeared or will soon disappear in the fierce competition.
In addition to the industry reshuffle between car companies, head car companies also set off three rounds of "price cuts" in January, March and August this year. According to industry analysts, on January 6th, Tesla took the lead in sounding the horn of price war. In January and February alone, nine car companies including BYD, Tucki, Wenjie, Weilai, Kyk-kry, Ai ‘an and Wuling followed suit, offering various preferential subsidies or directly reducing prices, and even fuel cars joined the ranks of price reduction. Subsequently, Dongfeng Motor Group and SAIC Volkswagen set off a new wave of price cuts in March and August respectively.
More crucially, almost every price range has been covered with different car companies. For every new car company, the biggest test is how to occupy a place in the industry and support a certain scale. The general consensus of practitioners in the automobile industry is that if you want to survive, you must take a lot. The initial research and development cost of a car is at least 1 billion yuan. Without the sales scale, the cost cannot be spread.
According to Lei Jun’s plan, the first model of Xiaomi Automobile plans to sell 100,000 vehicles in the first year, and then deliver 900,000 vehicles in the next three years, "entering the first camp in the industry in 2024".
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Xiaomi’s car-making process
On March 30, 2021, Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, said in a public speech that in the next decade, Xiaomi will invest 10 billion US dollars to build cars, and Lei Jun will be personally responsible for the car-making business.
In September 2021, Xiaomi Automobile Co., Ltd. was incorporated. On November 27th of the same year, the Management Committee of Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone held a signing ceremony with Xiaomi Technology. With the signing of the Cooperation Agreement, Xiaomi Automobile was officially announced to settle in Beijing Economic Development Zone.
According to the plan, Xiaomi Automobile Factory will be built in two phases, the first phase of which covers an area of about 720,000 square meters and has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. It was completed in June 2023 and passed the acceptance. The second phase is scheduled to start in 2024 and be completed in 2025.
In October, 2023, Lei Jun announced that the strategy of the group was officially upgraded to "the whole ecology of people and cars". Mobile phones, AiOT equipment and cars will rely on Xiaomi 澎湃 OS to organically integrate "the whole ecology of people and cars".
On November 15th, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the Announcement of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products (the 377th batch), and two models of Xiaomi Automobile were listed.
By the end of 2022, Xiaomi Automobile had applied for more than 400 patents involving autonomous driving, intelligent cockpit, charging device and power system.
According to the data of Xiaomi’s financial report in the second quarter of 2023, R&D investment reached 4.6 billion yuan, of which nearly 30% was used for smart electric vehicle business, up 21% year-on-year. The compound annual growth rate of R&D investment in the past six years reached 38.4%. It is estimated that Xiaomi’s R&D investment will exceed 100 billion yuan in 2023.
