Tag Archives: EVs

News

Xiaomi Hits 500,000 EVs—and Puts the Industry on Notice

In the world of electric cars, speed isn’t just measured in seconds to 60. It’s measured in how fast a company can go from zero to relevance. Some newcomers flame out as quickly as they appear, but Xiaomi—the Chinese tech giant best known for smartphones and smart-home gadgets—has launched itself into the EV arena like a silicon-powered rocket.

The company has just built its 500,000th vehicle, an achievement that would be impressive for any young automaker. What makes it staggering is the timeline: one year and seven months after the first Xiaomi EV rolled off the line. That makes Xiaomi one of the fastest companies on the planet to hit the half-million mark.

From Phones to Four Wheels

Xiaomi officially declared its entry into carmaking in March 2021, but the real ignition switch was flipped in March 2024 with the SU7, a sleek electric sedan that aimed straight at the segment’s benchmark. With multiple variants and a design philosophy borrowed from the gadget world—clean, modern, minimalist—the SU7 helped Xiaomi go from “curious experiment” to “credible threat” overnight.

By June, Xiaomi doubled down with the YU7, expanding its lineup and signaling that the company wasn’t here to toy with the market; it was here to compete across segments.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Production milestones tell one story, but shipments reveal the truth: people are actually buying these cars.

  • 135,000 Xiaomi EVs sold in 2024, the company’s first full sales year.
  • 315,376 shipments from January to October 2025.
  • 108,796 units shipped in Q3 alone, up a massive 173% year over year.
  • 48,654 units shipped in October, proving demand is accelerating, not leveling off.

Founder and CEO Lei Jun now expects Xiaomi EV to surpass 400,000 total shipments in 2025, up from an earlier 350,000-unit target. And that 500,000th car already built? It’s scheduled to reach its buyer within days—evidence that Xiaomi’s supply chain moves as fast as its assembly lines.

The Gamble That Paid Off

Jumping from phones to cars isn’t a pivot; it’s a moonshot. But Xiaomi’s EV division is showing signs that the risk was worth it.

For the first time, Xiaomi’s “innovative businesses”—driven almost entirely by EVs—posted a quarterly profit.

  • RMB 700 million net income (~€84 million).
  • RMB 29 billion in revenue, with EVs contributing a massive RMB 28.3 billion.

In short: cars are now Xiaomi’s biggest moneymaker.

Yet, the stock market remains unconvinced. Despite the record quarter, Xiaomi’s share price dipped 2.22%, part of a larger 33% drop over two months. Investors seem jittery about China’s hyper-competitive EV landscape and uncertainties elsewhere in the company’s portfolio.

It’s a reminder that even blowing past milestones doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing on Wall Street.

A New EV Powerhouse?

Xiaomi’s sprint from smartphone manufacturer to high-volume EV producer is the kind of story legacy automakers once dismissed as impossible. Not anymore.

Reaching 500,000 cars built in under two years—and pushing toward 400,000+ annual deliveries—cements Xiaomi as a major player in the global EV race. Whether traditional automakers like it or not, the frontier of electric mobility is no longer guarded by the “old guard.”

Xiaomi didn’t just enter the EV market.
It blasted its way to the front of the pack.

Source: Xiaomi

News

Lotus Emeya Proves EVs Can Refuel Faster Than You Can Order a Coffee

If you still think charging an EV is an exercise in patience, Lotus just handed you a stopwatch and told you to try again. The brand’s first electric hyper-GT, the 2026 Lotus Emeya, has officially smashed a critical real-world benchmark: fast-charging from 10 to 80 percent in just 13 minutes and 35 seconds.

And no—this wasn’t done in a climate-controlled lab at 3 a.m. with the HVAC off. The run happened in the scorching heat of Kuwait, under independent supervision by Lotus Al Ghanim, the marque’s local distributor. In other words, this is a record achieved where batteries typically beg for mercy.

A New Number to Beat: 443 kW

Hooked up to Lotus’s own 450-kW ultra-fast DC charger, the Emeya peaked at an eyebrow-raising 443 kW. That places it squarely in hyper-charging territory, a place currently occupied by only a handful of ultra-modern EVs.

Lotus targeted the most realistic and widely used charging window—10 to 80 percent—because that’s how actual EV drivers top up on the go. And in this window, the Emeya didn’t just perform; it redefined what’s possible on today’s public grid.

How Lotus Pulled Off the Lightning Pit Stop

This isn’t magic. It’s engineering—very modern engineering.

1. 800-Volt Architecture

Like the Eletra SUV, the Emeya rides on an 800V electrical system. That high-voltage backbone dramatically reduces electrical resistance, allowing the car to swallow electrons at extreme rates without overheating or wasting energy.

2. Cell-to-Pack Battery Structure

The battery uses a cell-to-pack (CTP) layout, letting Lotus cram roughly 20 percent more cells into the same physical footprint compared to older modular packs. The result: more energy, less mass, and better thermal uniformity.

3. Next-Gen Thermal Management

Fast charging is as much about cooling as it is about power delivery. Lotus says the Emeya uses a new cooling architecture designed to keep the pack’s temperature in the Goldilocks zone—whether you’re cruising or dumping half a megawatt into it.

Together, these systems unlock one truly eyebrow-lifting stat: 310 km of range added in 10 minutes (WLTC). With efficiency rated at 18.7 kWh/100 km, the Emeya can travel up to 610 km WLTP on a full charge.

An Ecosystem to Match the Hardware

Charging performance is only half the story. Lotus has built an integrated EV ecosystem spanning the Lotus Cars app and its in-car system, HyperOS. It uses smart routing to locate and recommend chargers based on real-time battery status, not just map pins.

Think of it as a co-pilot that actually understands how EV road trips work: less anxiety, less wasted time, and more predictable travel.

Lotus Wants to Build the Infrastructure It Needs

The British brand isn’t waiting for the world to catch up. Lotus has already begun rolling out its own 450-kW chargers across Europe, starting in Germany, with more markets coming online. The company’s message is clear:
Battery technology is ready. What we need now is charging infrastructure that can keep up.

The Big Picture

The Emeya’s record sets a new bar for EV long-distance usability. We’re officially entering an era where charging an electric grand tourer may soon take less time than stretching your legs—or checking your messages.

The future of fast charging is here, and it wears a Lotus badge.

Source: Lotus

NEW CARS

Mercedes Preps the Next E-Class: A 500-Mile EV With Old-School Style and New-Age Tech

Mercedes-Benz is deep into development of the seventh-generation E-Class, an all-electric sedan slated to land in the UK in 2027—and positioned as the spiritual and literal successor to today’s EQE. Only this one promises real E-Class practicality, a 500-mile range, and a return to the classic three-box silhouette that Benz buyers have trusted for decades.

But here’s the twist:
Mercedes isn’t replacing the current E-Class. It’s doubling down.

Two E-Classes, One Strategy

The brand’s new split lineup—previewed with the GLC EQ—means the electric E-Class will be sold alongside a heavily refreshed version of the existing sixth-gen model. Same badge. Similar styling. Completely different bones.

Why blur the lines? Simple: the EQE was too weird. Launched in 2022, it never resonated with traditional E-Class customers, who found it a little too moon-lander, not enough Stuttgart sedan. So Mercedes is scrapping the EQE nameplate and rebuilding the electric executive car to look, feel, and function like the E-Class people actually want.

Bigger Platform, Bigger Space

Underneath the crisp, conventional proportions is Mercedes’ new MB.EA platform, shared with the upcoming electric C-Class and GLC EQ. The architecture allows not just a longer wheelbase—internally described as “very status-oriented”—but better interior packaging than today’s car. Expect more legroom, more headroom, and fewer compromises in trunk space, courtesy of a skateboard-style battery layout.

Prototypes caught by spy photographers show a sedan that’s unmistakably E-Class, just sharpened: stretched stance, broad shoulders, and a grille that takes cues from both the GLC EQ and the Vision Iconic concept. It’s bold by Mercedes standards—designed to make sure future EVs stand apart from a sea of wind-tunnel clones.

Electric Comfort, Benchmark Quiet

Mercedes is already boasting that the electric E will deliver benchmark refinement, with noise isolation and ride comfort aimed squarely at beating the Audi A6 E-tron and BMW i5. If the current S-Class is anything to go by, don’t bet against Stuttgart here.

Tech Leap: 800 Volts and Level 3 Autonomy

Compared with the EQE’s 400V electrical system, the new car steps up to an 800-volt architecture, unlocking:

  • 350 kW fast charging
  • Improved efficiency
  • Lower cooling demands
  • Compatibility with Mercedes’ latest driver assistance suite
  • Optional Level 3 hands-free driving (in markets that allow it)

CEO Ola Källenius calls the jump a “significant technological step”—and given the EQE’s relatively modest charging speeds, this one was overdue.

Powertrains and Range

Expect both single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD configurations, mirroring the GLC EQ and next-gen C-Class EV. The battery lineup should also be shared, meaning the top-range variant will likely use the C-Class’s 94-kWh unit to deliver around 500 miles on the lenient European WLTP cycle.

Aerodynamics remain a priority. While early test mules wear open-spoke wheels, production models will switch to slicker, aero-optimized designs to push the drag coefficient toward the EQE’s slippery 0.22—even with the more traditional sedan shape.

One Body Style Only

Unlike the combustion E-Class, which will continue offering saloon and estate forms, the new electric model will launch as a sedan only. No wagon—at least not yet. (Yes, we’re disappointed too.)

2027: The Year of Two E-Classes

When it arrives, the electric E-Class won’t just replace the EQE—Mercedes plans to facelift the current E-Class heavily enough to visually align the pair. One platform for tradition. One for electrification. One badge to rule them both.

The strategy is bold, but logical: buyers still trust the E-Class name. And now, whether they want petrol or electrons, they won’t have to choose between familiarity and the future.

Source: Mercedes-Benz