Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has become the country’s eighth-largest electric vehicle upstart after selling more than 7,000 units of its first model, the SU7 sedan, in April, according to industry data, reports Reuters. Xiaomi’s strong entry into China’s crowded EV market is set to further upend the world’s largest auto market, where companies have been locked in a fierce price war amid weakening demand. Xiaomi is already a household name in China for its popular smartphones and home appliances.
It joins other upstarts like Nio and Xpeng as new automakers focused on EV production. The category excludes legacy brands like Volkswagen and established EV makers such as Tesla, BYD, and Geely.
Xiaomi sold 7,058 SU7s in April, its first full monthly sales since the model was launched in late March, and it is targeting more than 100,000 deliveries this year, which would correspond to monthly average sales of 11,618 units for the remainder of the year.