Xiaomi’s 990-HP Electric SUV Claims 186 mph and Big Range, A Direct Shot at Tesla and Luxury EVs

Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant best known in the U.S. for smartphones and gadgets, is now bragging about a family-sized electric SUV with supercar numbers: 990 horsepower and a claimed top speed of 186 mph.

The vehicle, called the Xiaomi YU7 GT, is being positioned as the most extreme version of Xiaomi’s fast-selling YU7 SUV line in China. On paper, it’s meant to rattle premium electric SUVs, and send a message to Tesla that Xiaomi isn’t just dabbling in cars anymore.

990 horsepower, dual motors, and a headline-grabbing 186 mph claim

Xiaomi says the YU7 GT makes 738 kW, about 990 horsepower, from a dual-motor setup. That’s a big jump over the YU7 Max, which is listed at 508 kW (roughly 691 horsepower).

The company is also touting a 186 mph top speed. That number is largely academic on public roads, especially in the U.S., where even wide-open Western interstates don’t make that remotely legal, but it’s a loud marketing flex aimed at the performance EV conversation Tesla has long dominated.

According to the specs cited in filings and presentations, the front motor is rated at 288 kW and the rear at 450 kW, a rear-biased layout that typically signals a more performance-focused feel. Xiaomi also points to 21-inch wheels and wider tires as part of the GT package.

It’s huge, and heavy

The YU7 GT isn’t a compact crossover pretending to be sporty. It’s a full-size SUV by American standards: about 197.4 inches long, 79.0 inches wide, and 62.9 inches tall, with a wheelbase around 118.1 inches.

It also weighs a claimed 2,460 kg, about 5,423 pounds. That’s the reality check behind every “nearly 1,000-horsepower SUV” headline: straight-line speed is one thing; braking, tire wear, and heat management are where heavy performance EVs live or die.

One chassis engineer quoted anonymously in the original report put it bluntly: getting “almost 1,000 horsepower into an SUV” is easy on a slide deck, making it usable every day is the hard part.

Xiaomi’s new “V8s EVO” motor spins to 28,000 rpm

To justify the leap in output, Xiaomi is promoting a next-generation electric motor it calls the V8s EVO, with a claimed maximum speed of 28,000 rpm. In EV terms, higher motor speeds can help deliver strong power at higher vehicle speeds, not just a quick 0-to-60 burst.

Xiaomi also says it developed an in-house silicon-carbide (SiC) power module, claiming a 5.9% power gain, plus ultra-thin 0.15 mm silicon steel laminations in the motor and efficiency as high as 98.38%.

Industry watchers tend to treat peak efficiency numbers as best-case lab results, not real-world guarantees. But the broader point matters: Xiaomi is signaling it’s investing in the unglamorous parts of EV engineering, power electronics and thermal control, not just flashy horsepower claims.

Range claims look massive, until you translate the test cycle

Xiaomi is advertising range figures as high as 835 km on China’s CLTC test cycle, about 519 miles, depending on configuration. For the YU7 GT, CLTC figures around 705 km (about 438 miles) have been floated.

But CLTC is typically more generous than the tests Americans are used to seeing. A more realistic expectation, based on how these cycles usually compare, would likely land closer to roughly 373 to 404 miles on Europe’s WLTP standard, depending on version. An EPA number, if the vehicle ever came to the U.S., could be lower still.

Battery sizes mentioned range from about 96.3 kWh (LFP chemistry) to 101.7 kWh (NMC). Xiaomi also describes an efficiency-minded setup that can disconnect the front motor in an economy mode, effectively running more like a rear-drive vehicle to cut consumption.

And yes, if you actually drive anywhere near 186 mph, range will collapse. That’s not a Xiaomi problem, that’s physics.

Wider tires, GT aero tweaks, and a cabin dressed for speed

The GT version reportedly gets a staggered tire setup: 265/40R21 up front and 295/35R21 in the rear. That’s the kind of rubber you use to put big power down, but it can also raise road noise, replacement costs, and energy use.

Xiaomi says it reworked aerodynamics too, including removing certain active grille systems and adding GT-specific aero elements. There’s also a red “GT” badge and a “Cherry Red” color option meant to make sure nobody mistakes this for the regular model.

Inside, Xiaomi is talking up sportier materials, including about 2.3 meters (roughly 7.5 feet) of Alcantara and optional carbon-fiber trim, plus a carbon-fiber emblem with a “24K” treatment positioned as a subtle luxury touch.

Xiaomi’s bigger play: dominate China’s SUV market, then pressure Tesla

The YU7 line is already a hit in China, where SUVs dominate the market much like they do in the U.S. The report cites December 2025 deliveries of 33,729 YU7s versus 12,520 SU7 sedans, and claims more than 150,000 YU7 deliveries over six months. It also says Xiaomi logged more than 200,000 reservations within three minutes when orders opened, an eye-popping figure, if accurate.

That momentum matters because the YU7 GT functions as a halo car: a high-performance attention magnet designed to lift the entire lineup’s image. It’s a familiar playbook in the auto industry, sell the dream, then sell the volume trims.

Pricing is still the big unknown outside China. In China, the YU7 is described as landing around €30,000 to €39,000, roughly $32,000 to $42,000 at current exchange rates. Estimates for a Europe-spec version have floated around €45,000 to €55,000, or about $49,000 to $60,000, once tariffs and compliance costs are baked in. A GT model would likely push higher, though Xiaomi hasn’t announced an official price.

The real test won’t be horsepower or a top-speed claim. It’ll be whether Xiaomi can deliver the boring essentials that make or break a car brand, reliability, parts supply, repairs, recalls, and service, especially if it tries to expand beyond China. If it can, Tesla and the luxury EV establishment may have a new problem on their hands.