Xiaomi launched its first electrical car, SU7, on March 28 in Beijing. China’s Apple Automobile obtained practically 90,000 agency orders 24 hours after launch, which suggests it’s principally offered out in 2024. Deliveries will begin by the top of April.
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The EV has already hit 59 showrooms in 28 cities nationwide the place check drives can be found, attracting massive crowds. Some clients even wait till 3 am to drive it. Furthermore, Xiaomi handed the SU7 to many life-style influencers for driving critiques.
With so many Xiaomi SU7s on the streets, damaging narratives began to emerge. Movies and footage of Xiaomi’s sedan crashed and accidents unfold over Chinese language social networks. In a type of movies, the driving force of the Aqua Blue SU7 loses management of the check car and crashes into the facet wall. Earlier than that, he carried out inexperienced driving; nonetheless, trendy EVs ought to have the ability to deal with that and never permit such a harmful maneuver.
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This factors out the failure of the car traction management software program. The well-debugged TC system should sense wheel slip and regulate torque through motor or focused brake software. Based mostly on the video, Xiaomi’s TS system is way from superior, though it’s unclear whether or not this is because of SW or HW.
For instance, Tesla would almost certainly not permit such an unsafe maneuver. This isn’t as a result of Tesla’s common TC could be higher, as all programs simply measure pushed wheel revolutions per minute (RPM) and react when these get too excessive, because the wheel slips, resulting in a response delay.
The reason being Tesla has a second TC system for motor traction management. The info from the electrical motors are used to measure the precise wheel grip, which supplies the chance to react when the wheel loses traction however isn’t slipping but. This has its restrict, so the common TC can also be used; nonetheless, it could actually yield outstanding outcomes.
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One other video shared by Inside China Auto exhibits the Xiaomi SU7 carrying Radiant Purple with faulty air suspension, remodeling the testing car into the unintentional lowrider.
Weibo person 王金生 shared immediately a set of images of SU7 concerned in a minor accident, concluding the automobile dealt with the collision nicely with solely minor harm to the physique.
One other recorded crash is an ordinary rear-end collision of an SU7 with a German legacy maker. This collision almost certainly didn’t contain any defect, simply an inexperienced driver. Curiously, it occurred earlier than the launch occasion on March 24.
In early February, Xiaomi performed winter testing in Heiha Metropolis in Northeastern China. The SU7 made headlines when it crashed on a snowy highway, recording the primary historic crash of a Xiaomi automobile.
Editor’s remark
It will likely be attention-grabbing to observe how advertising guru Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO who managed to get half of China enthusiastic about Xiaomi’s first EV, handles this example.
Xiaomi is the buyer digital big well-known for its nice worth/worth ratio. Nevertheless, there’s a distinction between giving a whole bunch of smartphones, vacuum cleaners, watches, or TVs for overview to Xiaomi’s loyal and excited life-style influencers, Douyiners (the Chinese language title for Tick Tok is Douyin), or Weibo bloggers.
I’ve seen a whole bunch of critiques of Xiaomi merchandise in China in previous years. I can inform you that lending the car, which nonetheless wants to shine some SW flaws (not shocking as it’s literary their first automobile) to loopy TikTok stars who’re masters in creating eye-catching and stunning content material appropriate for the platform is an ideal storm. Within the gadget critiques, I noticed telephones thrown from the tenth ground to show their sturdiness. Powerbanks had been solid into the fireplace, and also you higher don’t ask me what they did with robotic vacuum cleaners.
Giving these loyal influencers a 2.5 tons heavy, 5-meter-long automobile with a number of hundred horsepower beneath the hood and pretending it’s one other gadget to have enjoyable with is one thing that may backfire closely.
Nevertheless, not solely influencers are accountable. Many common Xiaomi followers and potential clients have began to carry out check drives. Through the launch occasion, a lot emphasis was placed on how a lot connectivity SU7 has. And it’s really unbelievable – it’s deeply built-in with your property home equipment, Xiaomi cellphone, TV, watches, and even iPhone. You possibly can management your automobile from your property and vice versa – for instance, even open the curtains in your lounge from inside your car. Nevertheless, all this creates a picture of the SU7 as one other gadget within the Xiaomi ecosystem. Undoubtedly, some respect for the 663 hp AWD monster could be wanted.
Xiaomi launched simply three days in the past, and the corporate wants to handle this within the early levels. In any other case, the peerlessly crafted picture Lei Jun created would possibly begin to crumble.
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Xiaomi SU7 sells like hotcakes, but test cars crash at the same pace
