Another tech company is apparently set to join the smart mobility race. Electronics giant Xiaomi is reportedly looking to enter the automotive arena with its own range of electric vehicle (EV), with the first EV set to debut sometime in 2023, according to a Reuters report.
The project will involve a collaboration with Chinese automaker Great Wall, which will provide expertise as well as assembly operations at one of its plants, sources familiar with the matter told the news agency. Both companies plan to announce the partnership as soon as early next week, one of the sources said.
The sources added that the EVs will be badged under the Xiaomi brand and will be aimed at the mass market, in line with the broader positioning of its electronics products. They will also be able to connect with other devices in the company’s product eco-system. Great Wall, which has previously never offered manufacturing services to other companies but recently stated it was planning for its own electric car brand, will provide engineering consultancy to speed up the project.
The move comes as Xiaomi looks to diversify its revenue streams from the smartphone business, which accounts for the bulk of its income, but carries razor-thin profit margins. It is also a response to other tech firms working together with automakers to to develop smarter vehicles with technology such as smart cabins and autonomous driving.
In January, Chinese Internet company Baidu officially announced plans to make EVs using an auto plant owned by Geely, which would provide design consultancy and contract manufacturing for the collaboration. As for this report, Xiaomi declined to comment on the matter, and Great Wall said it had not discussed such a partnership with Xiaomi.
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Weldan mighty Great Wall! Springboard into ASEAN market with pivotal Go Auto is the RM 2b Green Orange factory in Gurun, Kedah…
China car mari, the better continental
Cheaper and better. Must be good RV too ya
my sis in law bought one great wall car and the 360 degree camera broke down after 1-2 years. kept breaking down and now is the 5th year, not fixed. better be careful with this brand and the distributor
It seems the camera must have used the same technology that was used to build the great wall.
Driver will be greeted with 5 minutes of advertisement after starting the car LOL