Copying the appearance of Ferrari, Xiaomi SUV uses range extender, with power 36% higher than Huawei?

Spy photos of Xiaomi's second product have been exposed. As speculated in the industry, the second car is an SUV model, but it does not belong to the conventional SUV type. Based on the model outline, it is a performance SUV product closer to the Ferrari Purosangue. The spy photos reveal little information, but what can be distinguished are borderless rearview mirrors, Hesai LiDAR, yellow brake calipers, etc.

The internal code of this car is MX11, while the internal code of the previous Xiaomi SU7 was MS11. Both cars are products developed at the same time. The car manufacturing platforms are also based on the Modena platform architecture. Around July last year, the design work of the MX11 was basically completed, so we can see the C-sample test car of the MX11 in the short period of six months after the release of the Xiaomi SU7. The market rhythm of this car is likely to be unveiled at the end of this year and launched in the first half of next year.

If we follow the complete rhythm of research and development, debut, and launch, it may take about a year longer than the Xiaomi SU7. So, what different product points will the Xiaomi MX11 model bring after a year?

How do you plan to build a Xiaomi SUV?

Let's first clarify the product positioning of Xiaomi MX11. It is a product developed at the same time as Xiaomi SU7, and the car manufacturing platform is the same. It will still be positioned as a medium to large-sized product. So, as an SUV model, it has a greater premium space than a sedan, just like the relationship between Tesla Model 3 and Model Y; In terms of pricing, there is a high possibility that the price of Xiaomi MX11 is higher than that of Xiaomi SU7.

Simply put, Xiaomi SUVs are not strictly cost oriented products, so it is not a problem to have some new technological configurations on board. The first two cars, one sedan and one SUV, set their own product benchmarks in two large segmented markets, which is reasonable.

Please refer to the current core hardware and technical configuration of the Xiaomi SU7, including two high-power drive motors, V6 and V6s, 9100t ultra large die-casting equipment, CTB battery technology, 800V high-voltage system, etc. These are some of the technical points and configurations that have already appeared on the Xiaomi SU7 model.

So the new technology left for this SUV model is actually only the new electric motor set planned to be launched in 2025. That is, the V8s motor with a maximum speed of 27200rpm, which was only announced at the press conference but was not installed on any version of the current Xiaomi SU7. Xiaomi's self-developed V8s motor has a maximum horsepower of 578, a maximum power of 425kW, and a maximum torque of 635 Nm, with a peak efficiency of 98.11%. This means that the motor can efficiently convert energy during operation, reduce energy loss, and achieve efficient output while also saving electricity.

If this motor is launched or applied, compared to the Huawei Drive ONE motor currently installed on the Smart S7 (with a speed of 25000 rpm, but due to limitations, it is locked at 3000 rpm, and the actual obtained speed is only 22000 rpm), the advantage is very obvious. Xiaomi's V8s motor speed has increased by about 8%, with a maximum horsepower increase of about 36%.

Is it possible for this SUV to use a three electric machine?

At the beginning of the announcement of Xiaomi SUV, there was a speculation that this new car would use a front one rear two three electric unit layout to create a performance oriented coupe SUV. At present, the positioning is still a coupe SUV, but it's hard to say if it's not a three motor solution. The reason is that the Xiaomi V8s motor has sufficient individual power and output capacity, and the material and structural design can withstand the heat dissipation needs; Including bidirectional full oil cooling and S-shaped three-dimensional oil circuit, as well as 960MPa high-strength silicon steel sheet, which is basically twice the mainstream level in the industry.

In addition, if two V8s motors are used as dual electric four-wheel drive models, it is theoretically feasible, but unless there is a particularly significant optimization or sacrifice in terms of range and energy consumption performance. However, doing so on a mass-produced car is not a good choice. It is a more reasonable operation. Referring to the current versions of cars on sale, low-power motors are still used for long endurance. The rear single motor of four-wheel drive models will be replaced with a V8s motor (four-wheel drive models will be matched with existing 220kW, 300 horsepower front motors, with a total horsepower of over 800 horsepower). The long endurance model with a rear mounted single motor version may need to be replaced with the current maximum power 275kW motor on the Xiaomi SU7, just like the entry-level Xiaomi SUV.

The solution of using a high-power V8s motor for both motors is reserved for the performance version model. Referring to the Xiaomi SU7, which is currently running at Nurburgring lap speed, it may already be using a V8s motor set, with an expected horsepower of over 1000.

Will there be a new breakthrough in battery life?

Two points are that currently, the intelligent experience on the Xiaomi SU7 will largely be retained on Xiaomi SUVs, and the effect will only increase. As for the range, there is currently a possibility that the Xinwangda battery has been added to the supplier list, but it should be for the third vehicle (which is a cost oriented product). Therefore, the battery solution for Xiaomi SUVs is more likely to be supplied by Fodi and CATL.

Is it still possible to maintain a maximum range of 700km and 830km?

If the existing suppliers remain unchanged, the supply plan for battery packs will still be for Fodi to provide lithium iron phosphate batteries and CATL to provide ternary lithium batteries. However, since Xiaomi is a customized battery, specific specifications may be customized according to different car models. So, the 73.6kWh, 94.3kWh, and 101kWh battery packs on the current Xiaomi SU7 may all be readjusted.

Referring to the spy photos of the current model, the wheelbase is also close to about 3000mm, but the body length will be slightly shorter than the Xiaomi SU7, but the body height will be higher. So, the size and weight of this car are similar to shorter and higher wheelbase, but the weight will increase by about 100kg. The integrated die-casting parts produced by the 9100 ton equipment will definitely be on board.

From a results oriented perspective, changes in vehicle models and an increase in vehicle weight, coupled with an increased probability of high-power motors getting on board, require an increase in battery capacity. The upper limit of the commercial capacity of the Modena platform, including the Xiaomi SU7, is a large battery pack with a capacity of around 132kWh and a range of approximately 1000km.

A reasonable speculation is that in the production of Xiaomi SUVs, the lithium iron phosphate battery (if this version is available) has a minimum battery pack of around 80kWh and is matched with a V6s rear mounted single electric unit; The rear wheel drive long range and four-wheel drive long range versions are more likely to use a 110kWh or 130kWh battery pack, with a long range of around 800km or 1000km

As for the extended range version of Xiaomi SUV, there is currently not much information to support it. At least in May, Dongan Power issued a document stating that it did not supply Xiaomi cars.

Further extend to the level of intelligence, regarding intelligent driving and cockpit.

It is obvious that there is a LiDAR on the roof of the spy car, which should be visible to those familiar with the Xiaomi SU7. The design of this LiDAR is very similar to the AT128 currently supplied by Hesai to the Xiaomi SU7, which also means that this car can achieve the urban and high-speed NOA functions on the current Xiaomi SU7. Without further development, there should be little change.

Then, there is the cockpit domain. Regarding Xiaomi's self-developed Xuanjie SoC chip (5nm process), it will be produced by the end of this year and can be used in mass production of mobile phones and car phones by 2025. Some people initially believed that the chips in the automotive domain would replace the existing Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 cockpit chip with the Xuanjie SoC chip.

However, from the perspective of production capacity, stability, adaptability, and compatibility, it may not be as easy to use for Xiaomi SUVs in 2025 as imagined, and the significance of using 5nm to replace 5nm chips is not significant. If 3nm is used to replace 5nm, the significance will be different.