BEIJING: Chinese EV and smartphone maker Xiaomi 1810.HK on Thursday priced its new electric YU7 SUV 10,000 yuan ($1,395) cheaper than Tesla’s Model Y, stepping up the challenge to the US firm in the world’s largest auto market.
The base model of the YU7 starts from 253,500 yuan ($35,364), with the more premium models YU7 Pro and YU7 Max priced at 279,900 and 329,900 yuan respectively.
Xiaomi will take orders for all three models from Thursday night.
The Model Y, which was China’s best-selling SUV in May, retails from 263,500 yuan in China.
Xiaomi’s CEO and founder Lei Jun has said he wants the YU7 to challenge the Model Y and analysts say it is well placed to take on the Tesla vehicle’s dominance. Other rivals include Zeekr’s 7X and Li Auto’s L6.
Read Relevant: SpaceX Starship explodes during routine test
The YU7 has a driving range of up to 835 kilometres (519 miles) per charge, versus the redesigned Model Y that was launched in January with a range of up to 719 kilometres.
($1 = 7.1684 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Separately, ride-hailing firm Uber will launch self-driving taxis in London next year when England trials new driverless services, the firm and the UK government said on June 10.
Under the Uber pilot scheme, services will initially have a human in the driver’s seat who can take control of the vehicle in an emergency, but the trials will eventually transition to being fully driverless.
The government announcement will see companies including Uber allowed to trial commercial driverless services without a human presence for the first time in the UK.
They will include taxis and “bus-like” services.
Uber CEO Andrew Macdonald described London’s roads as “one of the world’s busiest and most complex urban environments”.