The Chinese EV loved by Ford's CEO just got a lot faster

• Ford CEO Jim Farley is simply a large instrumentality of Xiaomi's SU7 EV — and it conscionable sewage a awesome upgrade.
• The Chinese tech elephantine unveiled nan SU7 Ultra, a high-performance electrical car pinch a max velocity of 350km per hour.
• The SU7 has already proven a deed successful China.

Ford CEO Jim Farley's favourite Chinese EV conscionable sewage a awesome upgrade.

Chinese tech patient Xiaomi has unveiled a high-performance type of its SU7, nan electrical sedan that so impressed Farley he precocious said he didn't want to springiness it up aft driving it for nan past six months.

The institution said its caller SU7 Ultra has a maximum velocity of 350km per hour, compared to nan guidelines version's 265km per hour, and tin accelerate from 0 to 100km per hr successful nether 2 seconds.

It will beryllium pricey, however, pinch Xiaomi trading nan Ultra for 814,900 yuan ($114,000) successful China, astir 4 times the regular SU7's 215,900 yuan ($30,200) starting price.

The SU7 Ultra, which Xiaomi says has a scope of 630km and tin complaint from 10% to 80% successful 11 minutes, will beryllium released successful China successful March 2025.

The EV racked up 3,680 orders wrong 10 minutes of going connected presale connected Tuesday, according to CEO Lei Jun.

The Ultra marks Xiaomi's first foray into high-end luxury vehicles aft nan smartphone and electronics shaper pivoted into electrical cars pinch nan SU7.

The SU7 is packed pinch high-tech features. It is integrated pinch different Xiaomi products, and drivers tin remotely voice-control family appliances from nan vehicle.

Since being released successful March, it's proven a hit, delivering astir 30,000 units successful nan 2nd 4th of nan year. The institution said it expects to present 100,000 vehicles by November.

Speaking connected a podcast past week, Ford CEO Farley praised Xiaomi arsenic an "industry juggernaut" and said he was a large instrumentality of nan SU7.

"I don't for illustration talking astir nan title truthful much, but I thrust nan Xiaomi," said Farley.

"We flew 1 from Shanghai to Chicago, and I've been driving it for six months now, and I don't want to springiness it up," he added.

Western automakers for illustration Ford are under unit from Chinese electrical car makers, which are expanding quickly worldwide.

With significant authorities support, BYD and Xiaomi person quickly go manufacture heavyweights. This is acknowledgment to their expertise to make and waste EVs for far less than their Western rivals.

Some car executives person been sounding nan alarm, pinch Farley reportedly telling a Ford committee personnel China's car manufacture posed an "existential threat" aft visiting nan state successful May.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, meanwhile, has antecedently warned that Chinese automakers will "demolish" their world rivals without governments imposing waste and acquisition protections, though he has subsequently criticized tariffs targeting Chinese automakers.

Xiaomi's accelerated EV maturation has travel astatine a cost, pinch nan company's electrical conveyance branch posting an adjusted nonaccomplishment of $252 cardinal successful Q2.

Citibank analysts antecedently estimated that they expected Xiaomi to move a profit aft hitting yearly income of 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles.