Xiaomi unveiled its new SU8 electric sedan at a Beijing launch event on Wednesday, claiming a 1,200-kilometer CLTC-rated range and a starting price of 268,900 yuan ($36,800). The company said deliveries will begin in late May, with initial production capped at 8,000 units per month at its Changping plant.
Chief executive Lei Jun told reporters the SU8 uses a second-generation silicon-carbon anode battery developed with CATL and delivers a real-world highway range of roughly 950 kilometers at 120 km/h. The car's electric motor produces 495 kW combined output, with a claimed 0–100 km/h time of 2.78 seconds.
The launch places Xiaomi directly against BYD's Han L and Nio's ET9 in the premium electric sedan segment, a category that grew 47 percent year-on-year in China during the first quarter of 2026, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
Battery and Charging Architecture
The SU8 runs on an 800-volt electrical platform and supports peak charging speeds of 5.2C, allowing a 10-to-80-percent top-up in 11 minutes on compatible stations. Xiaomi said it has partnered with State Grid and Nio's power network to give owners access to more than 42,000 fast chargers across mainland China at launch.
The battery pack uses CATL's new Shenxing Ultra cells rated for 2,500 charge cycles to 80-percent capacity retention. Xiaomi offers an eight-year, 200,000-kilometer warranty on the pack and supports bidirectional charging up to 7 kW under China's updated GB/T standard.
Software and Autonomous Driving
Lei Jun said the SU8 runs HyperOS 3.0 cabin software and ships with Xiaomi Pilot Max, a Level 2++ driving stack powered by two NVIDIA Drive Thor chips delivering 1,000 TOPS combined, one lidar unit, 11 cameras and five millimeter-wave radars.
The automaker plans to roll out city-level navigation-assisted driving in 200 Chinese cities by the third quarter, matching coverage already offered by Huawei's ADS 4.0 and XPeng's XNGP. Xiaomi said the feature will be included free of charge for vehicles ordered before the end of 2026.
Market Context and Competition
Xiaomi has delivered more than 248,000 SU7 sedans since launching its first electric car in March 2024, exceeding its initial 2025 target of 200,000 units. The company became profitable on its EV business in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The SU8 enters a crowded segment. BYD's Han L, launched in February, starts at 219,800 yuan and claims 1,020 kilometers of range. Nio's ET9 flagship, priced from 788,000 yuan, offers 900 kilometers with battery-swap support. Geely-owned Zeekr's 007 GT and Huawei-backed Stelato S9 round out the main domestic rivals.
Industry analyst Zhang Xiang of the China Automotive Research Institute said Xiaomi's advantage lies in its consumer electronics brand recognition. "Roughly 62 percent of SU7 buyers were previously iPhone or Xiaomi phone users switching brands," he said. "The SU8 is designed to convert that same pool into repeat EV buyers."
Export and Production Plans
Xiaomi said it will begin exporting the SU8 to Southeast Asian markets — starting with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia — in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by the Middle East and Europe in 2027. The company has not confirmed plans for North America, where Chinese EV imports face 100-percent tariffs under current US policy.
A second manufacturing facility in Wuhan, with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, is scheduled to come online in August. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said combined output of the two plants should reach 500,000 units in 2027.
Xiaomi shares closed 4.2 percent higher in Hong Kong on Wednesday following the launch, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $182 billion. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the SU8 for sale on April 14 under the new GB 44495-2024 automotive cybersecurity standard, which took effect at the start of this year.
Deliveries begin on May 28 in mainland China, with right-hand-drive variants for Hong Kong and overseas markets planned for early 2027.