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Xiaomi to Begin Electric Car Project, Compete Against Apple and Tesla

After Apple, another tech giant plans to step into the automotive industry, and this time, it’s coming straight from China.
Xiaomi ready to step into the EV business 1 photo
Photo: Xiaomi
It’s Xiaomi, the company whose sales in the smartphone and wearable markets are on the rise. The tech giant is reportedly planning to build an electric vehicle that would compete against the Apple Car and Tesla.

A report from local media indicates that Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun himself will be involved in the project, as he wants to make sure everything goes according to the plan. And right now, it looks like the plan isn’t to build an affordable vehicle, which would make sense for a company that wants to capture market share but to focus on the high-end market.

And while for some, this may sound a little bit surprising, it certainly isn’t, as Xiaomi’s goal is to compete against Apple in the long term. As everybody knows already, all Apple products come with a premium price tag, which is also likely to be the case of the upcoming Apple Car.

Just like its Cupertino-based rival, Xiaomi wants the EV to shine in terms of tech, so it’ll integrate many of its existing innovations.

On the other hand, while Apple has a hard time finding someone to build its EV, Xiaomi could always turn to the local automakers who are more than willing to help with the project, especially given the company’s ambitious plans involving an international launch of the car.

According to the cited source, Xiaomi officials have already met with NIO representatives, and local automaker BYD might be involved in the project too.

If the talks go according to the plan and an agreement is reached, then work on the project should kick off as soon as this month or in April. In theory, Xiaomi is probably hoping it could bring its EV to the market at about the same time as Apple.

While the iPhone maker has so far remained tight-lipped on its EV, the Apple Car could see the daylight in 2024 at the earliest.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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