Xiaomi SU7 sells 50k units in 30 minutes

IT giant Xiaomi has begun taking preorders for its first-ever car – the electric saloon known as the SU7. According to the company, it received 10,000 pre-orders within four minutes from launch and more than 50,000 within 27 minutes.

CarNewsChina adds that the web broadcast of the launch event was attended by more than 2,000,000 viewers. In China, the Xiaomi SU7 will be available starting from the equivalent of U.S. $30,000. Its main rival, the Tesla Model 3, costs at least $4,000 more.

In its most basic spec, the battery sedan gets a single e-motor rated at 299 PS (295 hp / 220 kW) and a battery sized either 73.6 or 94.3 kilowatt-hours large. The respective ranges are manufacturer-rated at 700 and 830 km (435 and 515 miles).

The flagship spec gets two motors and sends 673 PS (664 hp / 495 kW) to the wheels. Its 101-kWh battery pack takes it 810 km (503 miles), while sprinting from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) only takes 2.78 seconds.

Trim-wise, the car rides on adaptive shock absorbers and air cushions, wears an active aero kit, and offers sport seats and a sunroof in all trims. The infotainment system uses two displays sized 7.1 and 16.1 inches large and runs Xiaomi’s proprietary operating system. Among other things, owners take advantage of a semi-autonomous driving system also designed by the IT company in the house.