Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is the latest company that’s looking into building its own electric cars.
Xiaomi is reportedly in talks with Great Wall to use one of its factories in China to build electric vehicles under its own brand for the mass market, which would be in line with its products in the electronics industry.
Citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter, Reuters reports that Xiaomi and Great Wall could announce their partnership as soon as next week.
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Great Wall is China’s biggest pickup truck maker
If the deal goes through, this would be Great Wall’s first manufacturing service to another company, with the Chinese carmaker offering engineering consultancy to Xiaomi in order to speed up the project.
Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s founder and chief executive, reportedly believes that his company’s expertise in hardware manufacturing will help accelerate the design and production of their electric vehicles.
“Xiaomi wants to find a mature automobile manufacturer to provide model infrastructure, enabling its own advantages in mobile internet technology,” said Alan Kang, a senior analyst at LMC Automotive. “Xiaomi’s advantages in operating systems and home furnishing also bring a lot of imagination for such cooperation in the future.”
Xiaomi, which according to the report is planning to launch its first electric vehicle around 2023, wants its cars to be connected with other devices in its product eco-system. Alongside smartphones, the Chinese tech company also offers a very wide range of internet-connected devices that includes everything from fitness trackers to scooters and rice cookers.
