What’s more, Great Wall also wants to offer engineering consultancy to Xiaomi, all in an attempt to bring the car to customers faster.
According to the report, Xiaomi wants its EVs to specifically target the mass market, so in theory, they shouldn’t be as expensive as a potential Apple Car. But on the other hand, just like Apple’s ambitious EV project, Xiaomi would bet big on the tech side of the car, something that would rather position it as a competitor to Tesla rather than an alternative to traditional automakers.
Neither Xiaomi nor Great Wall commented on the report, but an announcement could be made in early April, with the production model of the EV to go live in 2023.
At the first glance, Xiaomi has managed to do what Apple has been struggling with for several months: finding a carmaker to build its EV.
Apple has reportedly discussed such collaboration with Hyundai, but the talks ended abruptly after the South Koreans spilled the beans on the project. Since then, Apple is believed to have been involved in similar negotiations with a series of other automakers, including Nissan.
But Apple’s plan B, which the company seems fully prepared to use, is likely relying on a contract manufacturer like Foxconn, which is currently its number one partner for the iPhone. Foxconn is already making investments in EV production, and it’s believed it could also be the one to build the Apple Car beginning with 2024.
