Citi Research reiterated a Buy rating on China’s Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), with a 12-month price target of HK$19.60 on the stock after the company unveiled its EV technology and conducted a soft launch of its first vehicle, the SU7.
Xiaomi highlighted five key technologies: e-motor, battery, casting, autonomous driving, and smart cabin, all developed in-house with certain proprietary advancements.
“We believe the technology embedded in its SU6 series is impressive as the company’s focus is to achieve “the top, the best and the only one” in its design and performance.” Wrote Citi analysts in a note.
The SU7/SU7 Max stands out for its excellent aerodynamics (Cd 0.195), fast acceleration (0-100km/h in 5.28s/2.78s), high speeds (210/265km/h), powerful engines (299/673PS horsepower), large battery options (74/101kWh), quick charging (400/800V), and impressive driving range (668k/800km CLTC).
These vehicles excel in winter conditions and boast advanced technology like HyperOS, Xiaomi Pilot, and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) DRIVE Orin computing power.
Though the exact pricing isn't confirmed, it's unlikely they'll start below Rmb150k. Compared to other recent EVs in China, like Huawei S7 (Rmb248k) and Zeekr 007 (Rmb210k), the Xiaomi models might range from Rmb200-300k.
Citi believes the first car is likely to position at the high-end performance segment and be inclusive of both the male and female market despite C-segment competition in China, it aims to leverage its capability in product management experience, scale, and ecosystem from consumer electronic products.
According to Citi analysts, Xiaomi will likely prioritize the domestic market in the short term, concentrating on its EV product lines. As for cost reduction strategies, Xiaomi might eventually use its scale in consumer electronics to source electronic components/chips or implement localized design approaches in the future. However, this approach is not expected to be initially applied in their first car.