Xiaomi has confirmed that the company will soon unveil its EV or electric vehicle technology. The Beijing-based firm is currently known to be one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers. The company said in 2021 that it would enter the electric vehicle market, with the debut of its first such vehicle expected for 2024. Earlier this year, an electric vehicle from the company, codenamed ‘Modena’, was seen being tested in cold, snowy terrains. The upcoming launch event will, however, not see any product reveal.Xiaomi announced in a post on X that Xiaomi’s EV Technology will be unveiled at the Stride launch event to be held on December 28 at 2 pm Beijing time (11:30 am IST). Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and CEO, claimed that Xiaomi EV aims to integrate “automotive, consumer electronics, and smart ecosystems” and, therefore, redefine the technology of the automotive industry. He also clarified that the December event will only showcase EV technologies and not introduce any products.The company reportedly won the approval of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the body which regulates investments and production capacity in the country’s auto industry, to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs). Xiaomi pledged to invest $10 billion (roughly Rs. 82,700 crores) in this sector spanned across a decade. It planned to mass-produce its first set of cars within the first half of 2024.In January this year, the testing of an EV model by Xiaomi, codenamed ‘Modena’ in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was spotted, which was supposedly a test of the vehicle’s battery performance in extreme cold conditions. The company had confirmed previously that it hired over 500 experts from around the world to develop the in-house autonomous driving technology.The images seen in the testing of the Xiaomi Modena show the EV as a sedan with an aerodynamic shape, with a long hood and a swooping roofline that drops gently towards the back of the car. It also showed retractable door handles and LiDAR sensors on the roof of the vehicle.Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
