Xiaomi has recently unveiled to the world with it’s first EV, the Xiaomi SU7, where the brand claimed their first ever, new EV as a “full-size high-performance eco-technology sedan”.
The founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group, Lei Jun, has expressed that the brand’s entry into the the automotive industry marks a significant leap from the smartphone industry and a crucial step toward closing the loop of the Human x Car x Home smart ecosystem. He also has high ambition with Xiaomi to become one of the top five global automakers.
Coming back to the Xiaomi SU7, the debut event has shared on the company’s development of Xiaomi EV’s five core technologies. This include in key sectors such as E-Motor, Battery, Xiaomi Die-Casting, Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving, and Smart Cabin, numerous Xiaomi EV’s self-developed technologies have become first-of-kind globally or domestically. This was made possible by Xiaomi’s 13 years of comprehensive technological accumulation since its inception.
So, let’s learn more about the Xiaomi SU7 and its five core technologies.
Xiaomi SU7
Firstly, let’s learn about the Xiaomi EV name, as the initial “SU” stands for Speed Ultra. The SU7 comes in two variants, SU7 rear-wheel drive (RWD) and SU7 Max with dual motor all wheel drive. The company is claiming that the SU7 Max is rated at top speed of 265 km/h and takes 2.78 seconds for the century sprint, while the SU7 RWD is rated at top speed of 210km/h and makes the century sprint in 5.28 seconds.
The range for SU7 and SU7 Max is 668km and 800km, respectively. The SU7 Max has a maximum output of 673PS and 838Nm of max torque, as the SU7 is capable of a maximum output of 299PS and 400Nm of max torque. Xiaomi has confirmed there are other driving features such as individual drive modes, 20 seconds boost mode and Launch control. The Brembo 4-piston caliper, Bosch’s DPB brake controller and ESP10.0 stability control system will be providing the stopping power, allowing SU7 to brake from 100-0km/h in 33.3 meters.
The Xiaomi SU7 uses a fully self-developed Xiaomi Smart Chassis control algorithm, it possesses two major capabilities: Smart Multidimensional Sensing and Global Synchronized Control. This allows for millisecond-level adaptive dynamic chassis control across all scenarios, providing a stable handling experience while delivering an almost “bump-free” driving experience.
Xiaomi SU7 will be offered in three colours – Aqua Blue, Mineral Gray and Verdant Green.
E-motor
During the announcement, Xiaomi has introduced the self-developed and manufactured E-motors, HyperEngine V6/V6s, and HyperEngine V8s. The three E-motors, employing innovative technologies such as Bidirectional Full Oil Cooling Technology, S-shaped oil circuit design, and staggered silicon steel laminations design, rival the performance of traditional large V8 and V6 powertrains from the era of internal combustion engines, pushing the industry’s performance boundaries to new heights.
The highest performance engine, HyperEngine V8s, has a maximum speed of 27,200 rpm, 425kW output, and 635Nm peak torque, sets a global record for E-motors. To achieve such high rpm rev, the HyperEngine V8s employs the industry’s first ultra high-strength silicon steel plate with a tensile strength of 960MPa, boasting strength that surpasses mainstream industry offerings by more than two-times.
For cooling, the HyperEngine V8s uses the Bidirectional Full Oil Cooling Technology and an S-shaped oil circuit design. For the stator, a dual-cycle oil circuit is employed, increasing the heat dissipation area by 100% and achieving a cooling effect of up to 20°C. Meanwhile, the rotor section utilizes a patented S-shaped oil circuit, increasing the heat dissipation area by 50% and achieving a cooling effect of up to 30°C. Additionally, the stator silicon steel laminations feature a “step-like” staggered design, further increasing the effective heat dissipation area by an additional 7%.
At the moment, the HyperEngine V8s is in development, and set to be mass-produced and implemented in Xiaomi EVs in 2025.
Xiaomi’s HyperEngine V6/V6s E-motors is capable of reaching the speed of 21,000rpm, surpassing the most powerful mass-produced electric motor globally. For engine performance output, the HyperEngine V6 has a maximum power of 299PS and a maximum torque of 400Nm, while the HyperEngine V6s super motor achieves a maximum power of 374PS and a maximum torque of 500Nm.
Battery
To store the power, Xiaomi has self-developed CTB Integrated Battery Technology through innovative Inverted Cell Technology, multifunctional elastic interlayer, and a minimalistic wiring system. It features a battery integration efficiency of 77.8%, the highest of CTB batteries worldwide, a 24.4% overall performance improvement, and a height reduction of 17mm, with a maximum battery capacity of up to 150 kWh and theoretical CLTC recharge range exceeding 1200 km.
As the car is expected to be driven for long-range travel, Xiaomi uses industry-leading safety design standards for stable performance. The downward-facing pressure relief valve swiftly releases energy in extreme situations, maximizing passenger cabin safety. A 14-layer robust physical protection system includes three layers of top support, three layers of side protection, and eight layers of bottom protection.
The battery also has a dual-side water cooling solution implements heat dissipation plates on both long sides of the battery cells, achieving a cooling area of 7.8m²—four times the industry average. The sides of the battery cells feature 165 pieces of aerogel insulation material, capable of resisting temperatures up to 1000°C.
The Xiaomi EV comes with the company’s self-developed Battery Management System (BMS) with ASIL-D, the highest functional safety level. This BMS includes three independent thermal runaway monitors and alarms, along with an around-the-clock early warning system. Each Xiaomi battery boasts industry-leading reliability and undergoes the most stringent battery safety tests, including 1050+ safety verifications and 96 times the international standard of durability testing duration.
Xiaomi Die-Casting
Xiaomi also develop its own Xiaomi Die-Casting T9100 cluster and proprietary die-casting alloy material, Xiaomi Titans Metal, the only domestic automaker simultaneously self-researching both large die-casting and materials.
Xiaomi Die-Casting T9100 covers an area of 840m², with a total weight of 1050t and locking force reaching 9100t. Xiaomi has developed a foundation model quality judgment system that can complete inspections of individual pieces within 2 seconds, offering an efficiency ten times higher than manual inspection. The application of this cluster enables a remarkable achievement for Xiaomi EV, with the rear underbody integrating 72 components into one, reducing welded joints by 840, decreasing overall car weight by 17%, and significantly reducing production hours by 45%.
The Xiaomi Titans Metal is a high-strength, high-resilience, heat-treated die-casting material. Xiaomi’s self-developed “Multi-Material Performance Simulation System” selects the optimal alloy formula from 10.16 million possibilities, ensuring a perfect combination of strength, resilience, and stability.
Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving
Xiaomi is pushing Autonomous Driving capabilities with their EV by self-developed key technologies: Adaptive BEV Technology, Road-Mapping Foundational Model, and Super-Res Occupancy Network Technology.
Adaptive BEV Technology is an industry-leading innovation that invokes different perception algorithms based on scenario. The perception grid has a minimum granularity of 5cm and a maximum of 20cm, with a recognition range extending from 5cm to 250m. This technology ensures wider visibility in urban scenarios, extended vision in high-speed scenarios, and more precision in parking scenarios.
Road-Mapping Foundational Model revolutionizes traditional methods of perceiving road conditions. This model not only recognizes them in real time and intelligently switches to a more reasonable driving trajectory but can also navigate smoothly in complex intersections without relying on high-definition maps thanks to learning from complex intersection scenarios and experienced driver habits.
In terms of obstacle recognition, Xiaomi’s Super-Res Occupancy Network Technology achieves unlimited categories of recognition for irregular obstacles. Compared to traditional networks that interpret obstacles as blocks, Xiaomi’s innovative vector algorithm simulates all visible objects as continuous curved surfaces. This improves recognition accuracy to as low as 0.1m. Additionally, Xiaomi’s self-developed one-click noise reduction feature eliminates the impact of rain and snow on recognition, significantly reducing the probability of misidentification.
In addition to the Road-Mapping Foundational Model, Xiaomi has also independently developed the world’s first production-ready “End-to-End Sensing and Decision-Making AI Model” for automated parking. This model allows for real-time observation and dynamic adjustment when parking in challenging scenarios, such as parking facilities that include elevators.
On the hardware front, the system is equipped with top-of-the-line configurations, including two NVIDIA Orin high-performance chips with a combined computing power of 508TOPS. Perception hardware includes one LiDAR, eleven high-definition cameras, three millimeter-wave radars, and twelve ultrasonic radars on the Xiaomi SU7 Max model. With top-tier configurations and full-stack in-house research, Xiaomi’s intelligent Autonomous Driving system is set to join the industry’s top echelon by 2024.
Smart Cabin
Xiaomi is introducing Smart Cabin for its EV, which adopts a “human-centric” interaction architecture and features a 16.1-inch 3K central console, a 56-inch HUD head-up display, a 7.1-inch rotating dashboard, and two seat-back extension mounts that allow for the mounting of two tablet devices. Powered by the Snapdragon 8295 in-car chip with AI computing power of up to 30 TOPS, this enables an ultimate interactive experience with the linking of five different screens.
Xiaomi is promising their Smart Cabin’s interactive experience is similar to tablets, allowing users to quickly adapt without the need for a learning curve. The system operates exceptionally smoothly, with the vehicle OS launching in a rapid 1.49 seconds after the door is unlocked. Additionally, it offers seamless cross-device connection between smartphones and the EV. For example, when the phone is brought into the cabin, the console automatically d
The interactive experience of Xiaomi Smart Cabin is similar to tablets, allowing users to quickly adapt without the need for a learning curve. The system operates exceptionally smoothly, with the vehicle OS launching in a rapid 1.49 seconds after the door is unlocked. Additionally, it offers seamless cross-device connection between smartphones and the EV. For example, when the phone is brought into the cabin, the console automatically displays an icon, enabling easy access to the phone’s interface with a single touch.
The in-car OS seamlessly integrates mainstream applications, including the whole Xiaomi tablet application ecosystem, with gradual adaptation to over 5000 applications. Smartphone applications can be conveniently pinned to the car console, instantly transforming them into in-car applications. In terms of hardware integration, Xiaomi SU7 supports over 1000 Xiaomi smart home devices for effortless integration with the vehicle, enabling automatic discovery, password-free access, and the ability to set up automation scenarios, creating a robust CarIoT ecosystem. The car interior also has dedicated pin-point expansion connections, supporting plug-and-play functionality for a wide range of devices. To meet the needs of users, Xiaomi EV fully supports CarPlay, the mounting of iPads and iPad accessories, and applications on the rear extension mount.
As of the time of writing, I still don’t have the timeline plan for the Xiaomi SU7 to hit Malaysia or global market. But, Xiaomi earned my praised with the SU7 global debut, as it highlights the years of research and development to develop a highly competitive EV. Hopefully, I can get an upclose with the Xiaomi SU7 and perhaps, a test drive opportunity in the future. Until then, stay tune here.
Photos are credited to Xiaomi