2023-11-12T17:57:18+00:00
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/ Huawei launched a new electric car designed to compete with the Tesla Model S.
The Chinese tech giant began taking pre-orders for the Luxeed S7, its first sedan, on Thursday. Previously, it sold SUVs.
The car, developed with Chinese automaker Chery, is priced starting at 258,000 yuan ($35,400) during the pre-sale period.
Regular sales will begin on November 28, the company said at a conference on Thursday.
The comparison may be a bit of an exaggeration, says Mark Rainsford, an auto industry commentator based in Shanghai.
“Honestly, I think the comparisons to the Model S might be a little ambitious in terms of most of the metrics that I can find information on,” he told CNN, noting that some performance metrics have not been fully released.
But what makes the S7 stand out is the 800V platform, which should enable extremely fast charging.
“Tesla is not yet using an 800-volt platform, so the S7 will have an advantage in this area,” Rainsford said.
Richard Yu, head of the company’s consumer division, unveiled the car in the greater city of Shenzhen, saying it is equipped with a powerful high-voltage battery. He had previously said that the S7 would outperform the Tesla Model S “in all specifications.”
A 15-minute charge will achieve a driving range of 400 kilometers (249 miles), according to Yu, which exceeds the 347 kilometers (about 216 miles) range of the Tesla Model S after a similar charging period, adding, “Our range exceeds the level of our peers.” .
Although the range comparison was not tested, it was possible because of the battery, Rainsford said.
At $35,400, the S7 is significantly cheaper than the base Model S, which costs 698,900 yuan or $95,800 in China.
Tesla was forced to cut prices in China recently in response to increasing competition in the world’s largest car market.