At Xiaomi’s annual conference, Lei Jun, the boss of the Chinese brand, explained how he went about designing the electric car named SU7. It’s simple: the boss of Xiaomi understood everything about the electric car, thanks to practices that are quite new in the automotive industry.
Xiaomi has made headlines with its electric car, the SU7. Sold in China for the moment, it offers a more attractive technical sheet than a Tesla, for a lower price. When it was presented a few months ago, we were amazed by the technologies, whether in terms of the engines, the battery and even the infotainment. On paper, it is simply a perfect electric car. And we understand better why.
At Xiaomi’s annual conference, Lei Jun, the brand’s boss, spent nearly an hour and a half (watch again on YouTubeif you have the courage) to talk about the electric SU7. The businessman traced the origins of this project, which was born following the ban on the sale of Xiaomi products in the United States decided in January 2021.
Xiaomi boss tested hundreds of cars
Lei Jun then took the reins of the project, delegating the rest of the company’s activities (notably smartphones) to his executives. The Xiaomi boss went very far in the design of the car. Many features would surely not have seen the light of day if he had not taken so much responsibility for this titanic project.
One anecdote is particularly telling. Lei Jun was not really used to driving cars on a daily basis since he had a driver. He then asked his driver to give him the keys to the limousine, so that he could drive to work himself in the morning. Lei Jun wanted to test as many cars as possible. He then asked all of his friends to lend him their cars. But that was not enough.
The Chinese boss then went down to the parking lot of the headquarters in Beijing. In order to draw up a robot portrait of his employees’ cars: shape (sedan or SUV), dimensions, average price, etc. But that was not enough for Lei Jun: he asked some of his colleagues to be able to test their cars.
He even saw a Ford Mustang convertible parked in the company parking lot. He then asked his assistant to leave a note on the employee’s windshield to test his car. The latter of course accepted, initially thinking that it was a joke from one of his colleagues.
Lei Jun also went to different dealerships to get into the cars and test drive them. He admits to wearing a cap, a pair of glasses and a mask to avoid being recognizable. But he was apparently recognized each time.
Lei Jun also watched all the car movies, to get a clearer idea of the car industry and consumer expectations to create ” the dream electric car“. Let us also recall that the boss of Xiaomi traveled more than 1,200 km in one go to test the autonomy and fast charging of the SU7.
Why does the boss spend so much time on the project?
Lei Jun claimed that he had spent a lot of time on the electric car project, and that it had become the main one. Which is not surprising when you consider that Xiaomi planned to spend more than 10 billion dollars to create this first electric car. A massive investment for a young company (which was founded in 2010) that was not specialized in automobiles. A risky investment for the financial future of the company.
Moreover, Lei Jun announces that the automobile sector is of the “winner takes all” type and that Xiaomi hopes to be in the top 5 of the world’s automobile manufacturers in the coming years. Otherwise, it would be a failure and could jeopardize the company’s existence.
By putting himself in the customer’s shoes through all the cars he has tested, Lei Jun was able to understand the needs of drivers, and the shortcomings and shortcomings of cars (whether electric or not) currently on sale. He was therefore able to refine and optimize the specifications of the Xiaomi SU7.
We can then better understand why Xiaomi is offering new and innovative features in the SU7. We think for example of Apple iPads that can connect to the car’s infotainment system, the button bar to be added under the infotainment screen as well as the additional display to be attached at the top of the same screen. Of course, autonomy, fast charging and habitability are also important elements and Lei Jun has understood this well, just look at the technical sheet to be convinced.
Lei Jun wants to do better than Tesla and Porsche
But Xiaomi’s boss hasn’t forgotten one of the most important elements of a car: its driving. Lei Jun took driving lessons on the circuit, so he could drive the SU7 like a sports car. Without a few accidents.
He also bought a driving simulator so he could practice at home. And he managed to get his circuit license. The man wanted his car to behave like one at all costs, in order to come and hunt on the lands of Porsches and Teslas.
Moreover, Lei Jun noticed that most of the founders of sports car manufacturers were also drivers. Which gave him ideas, like learning drifting (there is even proof on a video) or try to beat their own records on Chinese circuits. A total of 100 Xiaomi engineers obtained their circuit license, to better understand the needs of a sports car.
Lei Jun in front of the Xiaomi SU7But the boss of the Beijing company wants to go further: he wants to beat Porsche and Tesla on the Nurburgring in Germany. The longest circuit in the world and known for being ultra-technical. It is on this circuit that the different manufacturers around the world compete. With the SU7 Ultra, Xiaomi wants to try to dethrone the Tesla Model S Plaid and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
See you in 2025 to get the end of the story. In the meantime, in China, the Xiaomi SU7 is selling like hotcakes. So much so that the boss of the company recommended his customers to buy another car, local competitors. It is that he is fairLei Jun. Too bad, because Europe should not be allowed to see the Xiaomi SU7 for a few years.
Source: www.frandroid.com
