Xiaomi said in 2022 that it will enter the electric car market, with the release of its first such vehicle expected for 2024.
The electric car nicknamed ‘Modena,’ according to a recent claim, has been discovered being tested in snow and ice weather conditions in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as shown by smuggled photographs provided by the newspaper.
According to the article, the Chinese manufacturer may be testing the battery performance of the electric car in extreme cold temperatures, as well as the consequences of such conditions on the vehicle’s range.
According to reports, Xiaomi’s future and first-ever electric car has been observed being tested in extreme cold weather conditions in a site considered to be in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
According to the claim, which cited a Chinese blogger, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had also joined the Xiaomi test-driving squad for this purpose. According to the article, the firm executive has previously been seen expressing his eagerness for seeing the electric car project through to completion.
Previously, the business executive published Xiaomi’s first progress report on the Xiaomi Pilot Technology project for autonomous driving. The business promised to invest RMB 3.3 billion (about Rs. 3,897 crore) and engage over 500 professionals from across the world to build its own autonomous driving technology.
Xiaomi is also expected to invest an additional RMB 2 billion (nearly Rs. 2,400 crore) in the project’s second phase, which will include ten upstream and downstream enterprises in the autonomous driving field, with Xiaomi in charge of core sensors, core actuators, domain controllers, and other components.
According to the latest photos, the Xiaomi Modena electric vehicle will be a sedan with an aerodynamic form accentuated by a tall bonnet and sweeping roofline that slopes softly towards the back of the car. The photographs also show retractable door handles and LiDAR sensors on the vehicle’s top.
The Xiaomi Modena is planned to be released in three varieties, with the first two entry models having BYD LFP “blade” batteries and the top-end model utilising a CATL Qilin battery. Meanwhile, the Modena’s infotainment system is believed to be driven by Qualcomm’s newest 8295 processors, which have 30 TOPS of NPU computing capability. The electric car is projected to cost between $38,350 (about Rs. 31,20,500) and $51,650.
