World’s third-largest smartphone maker to start building cars

Leaked photos of the first vehicle from Xiaomi – the world’s third-largest smartphone maker – have surfaced online.

The electric sedan, dubbed the ‘SU7’, was first spotted by publication Car News China on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website.

Every vehicle sold in China must gain approval by the local regulatory body before production begins – and a list of vehicles undergoing the approval process is published by the MIIT.

According to Car News China, the SU7 will be available with a choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive and 220kW, or dual-motor all-wheel drive and 495kW.

It is reported the electric car will come in three versions, the SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max.

The SU7 is set to be manufactured by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd (BAIC), one of China's largest car makers – which also has a joint-venture to produce Mercedes-Benz cars in China.

The BAIC factory in Beijing has reportedly begun trial production of the SU7, according to Car News China.

Xiaomi will reportedly begin mass production of the electric sedan in December 2023, with deliveries of the SU7 starting in February 2024 – but it has not specified if the vehicle is due for a global release, or if it will come to Australia.

While it isn’t the first tech giant to join the car industry – fellow Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has begun taking pre-orders on an electric sedan developed with Chinese car maker Chery – Xiaomi is among the first to introduce a fully-developed and manufactured vehicle for sale in 2024.

Xiaomi has beaten US smartphone giant Apple in the race to create its own line of cars – with the rumoured 'Apple Car' facing delays until 2026, according to previous Drive reports.