Chris Bangle, former Head Designer of the BMW Group, was very surprised because Xiaomi could make a super cool electric car, namely the Xiaomi SU7. The man who designed the BMW Z4 was amazed that Xiaomi was able to transform from an electronic equipment manufacturer to an electric car manufacturer.
He said there was a big design difference between the electronic equipment made by Xiaomi and the new electric car made by the Chinese electronics company.
“Four years ago I came to the Xiaomi electronics store. The entire design was really super geometric and clean. Very simple and in my opinion not emotional,” said Chris Bangle, via a short video released by Xiaomi, on Friday (29/8/2023).
“Meanwhile, making a car requires a strong emotional element,” he continued.
Amazingly, according to Chris Bangle, Xiaomi succeeded in realizing this emotional side in the Xiaomi SU7. He even believes that the presence of Xiaomi’s new electric car will be the starting point for Xiaomi to present new electric cars that are very emotional for the public.
“I see that the electric car is in line with Xiaomi’s desired direction,” he said.
He only said that currently what Xiaomi needs is to prove their competence in the world automotive industry. He saw that Xiaomi’s shortcomings which many people saw would have great potential.
Many people see that Xiaomi will not be able to make electric cars because its core business is electronic equipment.
“What you lack is the future of automotive. What you don’t know is the best technological capabilities and resources,” explained Chris Bangle.
What is certain is that Chris Bangle agreed to accept Xiaomi’s proposal to become a design consultant for Xiaomi’s electric cars in the future.
“Xiaomi SU7 is a very good start, and we are waiting for the next model,” emphasized Chris Bangle.
It is known that the Xiaomi SU7 uses a HyperEngine V6 electric motor. This electric motorbike is claimed to be capable of producing 295 hp of power and a peak torque of 400 Nm.
For choice, the Xiaomi SU7 comes in two variants. The SU7 standard variant’s electric motor is installed on the rear wheel (Rear Wheel Drive/RWD) and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.28 seconds. Equipped with a 73.6 kWh battery, this type has a range of 668 km (based on China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle/CLTC testing).
Meanwhile, the SU7 Max variant is equipped with a 101 kWh battery with a range of up to 800 km (CLTC). This car uses a Qilin NMC battery made by Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). For the charging system, it is claimed that the SU7 battery can be recharged up to 220 km in 10 minutes and 510 km in 15 minutes.
