Tuesday, May 14, 2024

SMARTPHONE ON WHEELS

Xiaomi electric car breaks down after just 24 miles (39 Km)

Updated on: May 14, 2024
Justinas Vainilavičius
Senior Journalist
Image by VCG/VCG via Getty Images


A brand new Xiaomi SU7 broke down and could not be repaired after traveling only 39 kilometers, or about 24 miles, its owner has complained.

The first electric car from the Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has been a blockbuster hit since it launched on March 28th in China, reportedly selling out for the entire 2024 within 24 hours.

There have been numerous positive reviews following the first shipments of the car that started on April 9th but also reports of significant defects.

These include one new owner, who said that his car malfunctioned just after he picked it up from the Xiaomi delivery center in Fujian after more than a month-long wait.

The man said he was driving on a highway when warning messages started to appear telling him to pull over because the drive system was “faulty,” according to a report from Car News China.

In a video apparently filmed by the owner, the car can be seen parked on the roadside with its hazard lights blinking. Inside, the screen can be seen displaying warning messages.

The car had to be towed back to the delivery center, where the owner learned that it was beyond repair and had to be returned to the manufacturer for analysis.

The delivery center confirmed the incident and said they were unable to work out what the problem was. The owner was offered a refund – something he was not happy about.

According to media reports, the man requested a new car rather than agreeing to compensation, as he did not want to be put on a waitlist again.

However, because of the fact that all cars currently in production had sold out, Xiaomi said it was unable to give him one and is reportedly negotiating a refund.

Xiaomi SU7 starts at 215,900 yuan, or $29,900, and has become one of this year’s best-selling cars in that category in China. In comparison, the base model of the Tesla Model 3 costs 245,900 yuan, or $34,600.

Xiaomi’s car plant in Beijing has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, with plans to increase production to 300,000 vehicles later.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi Corporation, commonly known as Xiaomi and registered as Xiaomi Inc., is a Chinese designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics and related software, home appliances, automobiles and household hardware. It is the second-largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world, behind Samsung, mos...Wikipedia

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