Photo: Great Wall Motors
Xiaomi has recently confirmed it’s stepping into the automotive industry with its very own electric vehicle, with the company ready to invest no less than $10 billion in this project.
People familiar with the matter said Xiaomi has already found a carmaker to take care of the manufacturing business, as Great Wall Motors, the second-largest auto company in China, would handle production at its factories.
But Great Wall has denied this possibility in a filling, and Xiaomi itself has remained tight-lipped on who’s going to manufacture its EV.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean Great Wall isn’t interested in such a project, with one of its executives explaining recently that his company is ready to work with any tech giant for the development of an electric car. Maybe even Apple, though we’re not sure the Cupertino-based tech giant would favor a deal with a Chinese firm given the recent trade tensions between the United States and the Beijing governments.
“We do not exclude any potential partner for a tie-up,” Li Hongqiang, investor relations manager at Great Wall, has recently been quoted as saying. “In the IoT (Internet of Things) era, Great Wall will cooperate with more companies to deepen our digitalization drive.”
In the meantime, it now looks like both Xiaomi and Apple are seeking a partner to make their EVs happen, though, at first glance, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has bigger changes to join forces with a domestic carmaker for this project.
On the other hand, Apple is likely to turn to long-time partner Foxconn, which is currently the number one firm building the iPhone. Foxconn is also making big investments in EV production capacity, including in North America, with the company expected to announce a new location where it plans to build cars by the summer.
If Apple’s partnership with Foxconn expands in the EV business, it’s believed the Apple Car could be on the market in 2024 at the earliest.
But Great Wall has denied this possibility in a filling, and Xiaomi itself has remained tight-lipped on who’s going to manufacture its EV.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean Great Wall isn’t interested in such a project, with one of its executives explaining recently that his company is ready to work with any tech giant for the development of an electric car. Maybe even Apple, though we’re not sure the Cupertino-based tech giant would favor a deal with a Chinese firm given the recent trade tensions between the United States and the Beijing governments.
“We do not exclude any potential partner for a tie-up,” Li Hongqiang, investor relations manager at Great Wall, has recently been quoted as saying. “In the IoT (Internet of Things) era, Great Wall will cooperate with more companies to deepen our digitalization drive.”
In the meantime, it now looks like both Xiaomi and Apple are seeking a partner to make their EVs happen, though, at first glance, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has bigger changes to join forces with a domestic carmaker for this project.
On the other hand, Apple is likely to turn to long-time partner Foxconn, which is currently the number one firm building the iPhone. Foxconn is also making big investments in EV production capacity, including in North America, with the company expected to announce a new location where it plans to build cars by the summer.
If Apple’s partnership with Foxconn expands in the EV business, it’s believed the Apple Car could be on the market in 2024 at the earliest.
Google News