Xiaomi Communications Co. , known for making smartphones , is the latest company to enter the electric vehicle industry. Xiaomi is reportedly planning to create its own EV brand. The company will use a Chinese manufacturing facility owned by Great Wall Motors.
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Today, Xiaomi is a successful electronics company based on the Internet of Things (IoT) platform. It manufactures smartphones, mobile applications, laptops, home appliances, and even scooters. In recent years, however, the company has lost its leading position in smartphone sales in China. Looking ahead, it is looking for new markets to maintain its international status.
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According to Reuters, three people have confirmed Xiaomi's plans for electric cars, which will be released on the global market.
Great Wall Motors will offer engineering process advice to accelerate the project, along with manufacturing services to Xiaomi.
Great Wall Motors is an established Chinese automaker and the country's largest provider of SUVs and trucks. While the manufacturer has over thirty years of auto production experience, it has only recently expanded into the EV market.
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In 2018, it introduced the ORA R1, calling it one of the most affordable electric vehicles available. Then, in 2019, Great Wall announced a partnership with BMW to produce electric Minis. There has been no other attempt at new electric cars from Great Wall Motors since then, so a partnership with Xiaomi and its resources makes sense for the company.
The gap between tech conglomerates and automakers is getting smaller these days, especially as EVs become IoT-connected and increasingly rely on software to function properly. Companies like Sony have already shown off an EV concept, and a vehicle from Apple has long been rumored.
So far, neither Xiaomi nor Great Wall have confirmed plans to produce EVs together, however, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that both companies are likely to make official announcements as early as next week.
Source: electrek
