China’s Xiaomi said on Tuesday it will start deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) model SU7 this month, venturing into the world’s largest auto market amid a brutal price war.
The smartphone maker, China’s fifth-largest, said in a Weibo post it has 59 stores in 29 cities nationwide that will take orders. A launch event is scheduled for March 28 when the new EV’s sticker tag is expected to be announced.
Xiaomi’s shares rallied 7% during morning trade.
China’s EV sales climbed 18% in January-February, not too far off 21% growth seen for all of 2023. This year has seen a round of deeper price cuts led by market leader BYD to woo consumers amid weakening domestic demand.
At the unveiling of the Speed Ultra 7 (SU7) sedan in December, Chief Executive Lei Jun said Xiaomi plans to become one of the world’s top five automakers.
The SU7, Lei touted, has “super electric motor” technology capable of delivering acceleration speeds faster than Tesla and Porsche’s EVs.
Analysts say the car’s shared operating system with Xiaomi’s popular phones and other electronic devices will appeal to the company’s existing customers.
Xiaomi has been seeking to diversify beyond its core business to EVs amid stagnating demand for smartphones – a plan it first flagged in 2021.
Its cars will be produced by a unit of state-owned automaker BAIC Group, in a Beijing factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
The smartphone giant has pledged to invest $10 billion in autos over a decade and is one of the few new players in China’s EV market to gain approval from authorities who have been reluctant to add to a supply glut.
World-changing breakthroughs are being debuted and displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as companies harness recent, vast breakthroughs in artificial intelligence to bring the future to today’s market.
These on-display innovations at the four-day demo span from big, even life-altering game-changers to smaller must-haves for the home.
The range features new types of electric vehicles for both ground and air travel, a revolutionary form of free television and immersive screen use, user-friendly biotechnology that pairs with smart devices and much more.
There’s even a super toilet that’s a flush above the rest.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for from CES 2024.
A free — yes, free — 55-inch, 4K TV with permanent ads on a second screen
We might be looking at the future of consumerism here.
A 55-inch television with 4K picture compatibility and a built-in soundbar can easily run upwards of around $1,000. But the company Telly is dishing them out completely for free in exchange for allowing a de facto billboard in your home and electronically sharing viewing habits with the company.
Advertisers cover the entire cost of Telly’s state-of-the-art device — which has a ChatGPT-infused vocal assistant — in exchange for having a perpetual flow of commercial spots on a second screen. It’s situated beneath the huge TV’s soundbar.
Sign up on Telly’s website and answer some consumer demographic questions to have your own.
Honda’s super electric vehicles
The Japanese carmaker is revving up a new fleet of electric vehicles that are slated to take the streets in 2026.
Called Honda Zero, these slender and sleek-looking automobiles aim to break a streak of clunky-style EVs that have dominated the market lately.
Honda’s “flagship” sedan-style EV, the Saloon — which looks a little like Lamborghini meets “Tron” — is the first expected in North America. The company boasts it has “a low and wide exterior coupled with a surprisingly spacious interior.”
An anti-snore pillow
Don’t sleep on this one. The DeRUCCI Group has unveiled a pillow that, according to trial data, has capabilities to alienate snoring by 89%, the company announced.
Aptly called the Anti-Snore Pillow, the all-in-one, app-paired device can adjust a user’s head position so that they and their partner — couples are taking separate beds in flocks for reasons like this — can sleep a little sounder.
It targets sleep apnea as well.
A 100-inch laptop that fits in a backpack
It’s giving major Tony Stark vibes.
The tech company Sightful harnessed the power of augmented reality to create a first-of-its-kind, 100-inch laptop for which users only need to carry a minuscule amount of hardware.
Called Spacetop, the device relies on a pair of AR glasses a user wears to see a vast array of virtual screens and common programs — including ChatGPT and various Google programs — that they interact with only through a tangible keyboard that has a built-in webcam and five hours of battery power.
It can be yours for $2,150.
A mouse … for your tongue
Techies are salivating over this.
The company Augmental has designed a smart mouse that goes inside a user’s mouth and is toggled by a person’s tongue.
Aptly called “MouthPad^,” the “pressure sensitive” bio-device “detects every movement and gesture of your tongue in real-time to support standard cursor control and clicks.”
The company suggests that it is especially useful for individuals with spinal cord injuries.
The drooler’s delight, which is still in an early access sales mode, can be harnessed right out of the box, according to Augmental.
A transparent TV
Competitors are seeing ghosts.
LG just unveiled what they call the world’s first wireless, transparent TV that runs on organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology.
In other words, it’s 77 inches of 4K quality movies and shows when you want with a see-through panel that doesn’t obstruct home furnishings when turned off. Samsung debuted a similar style of futuristic screening at CES as well.
A smart mirror that knows if you’re sick
It’s bound to have people reflecting on their health.
The company Nuralogix unveiled a 21-inch, tabletop smart mirror that can analyze facial blood flow as a way to accurately calculate a user’s vital signs, as well as “disease risk assessments.”
The oversized iPad-looking device is powered by Nuralogix’s cloud-based AI DeepAffex.
The future of flying
The next major step for aviation — and the potential for flying taxis — is the rollout of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vessels, and a Hyundai-backed company just took their bird out of the hangar.
Meet Supernal’s SA-2 eVTOL which fits four in a luxury-focused cabin, plus a pilot, and reaches speeds of 120 miles per hour and a cruising altitude of 1,500 feet.
Testing begins for the SAA-2 next year, and the current goal is to have it ready for a 2028 takeoff.
A “Star Wars”-esque home aid droid
Here’s the latest robo-pet that can take a byte out of household chores.
The astrodroid-esque device can also send video updates to owners regarding circumstances like checking up on pets or people inside of their homes.
Ballie also can answer phone calls, play music and project videos onto screens, walls and floors.
A Blackberry-style keyboard — for iPhones
IPhone users are becoming the very thing they swore off in the early 2010s now.
A company called Clicks has rolled out an iPhone case that doubles as a hard-button keyboard and gives the Apple device a striking resemblance to the hallmark of once-competitor Blackberry.
Kohler has let rip a $2,149 bidet that pairs with smart devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home so users might enjoy a hands-free experience on the potty while commanding their water flow.
The PureWash E930 also has plenty of other bells and whistles like an ultraviolet automatic cleaner and a heated seat mode.
Rental firm Hertz Global Holdings said Thursday it would sell about 20,000 electric vehicles from its US fleet due to higher expenses related to collision and damage, and will opt for gas-powered vehicles.
Shares of the company, which operates vehicles from Elon Musk’s Tesla and Swedish EV maker Polestar among others, fell about 3% at market open.
Hertz had said it would order 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022 and followed that with a decision to buy up to 65,000 units over five years from Polestar.
“Expenses related to collision and damage, primarily associated with EVs, remained high in the quarter…,” Hertz said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
The company had previously set a target for 25% of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024.
Hertz expects about $245 million of incremental depreciation expenses from the proposed sale in the fourth quarter of 2023 and warned of a hit to adjusted corporate core profit for the period.
The company said it would continue to focus on improving profitability for the remainder of its EV fleet.
Hertz’s used car website lists more than 700 EVs on sale including BMW’s i3, Chevrolet’s Bolt and Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y SUVs.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.