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Chinese EV players surprised by Apple’s decision to cancel car project, with Xiaomi CEO Lei saying he remains committed
- From Xiaomi to Xpeng, leading Chinese EV makers have expressed disbelief that Apple is ending its decade-long effort to build a car
- Xiaomi founder Lei Jun says the company has made an ‘unshakeable strategic choice’, while Li Auto CEO Li Xiang praises Apple’s decision
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Apple’s decision to abandon its plan to build electric vehicles has come as a surprise for China’s ambitious EV players and stirred discussions among the founders of Xiaomi, Li Auto and Xpeng.
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Lei Jun, founder and chairman of leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, which unveiled its first car late last year, said in a Weibo post on Wednesday that he was “very shocked” by Apple’s withdrawal from the EV sector.
The tech billionaire, who has long tried to cultivate his image as the country’s answer to Apple founder Steve Jobs, said he “knows deeply how difficult it is to make cars”, but added that Xiaomi has made an “unshakeable strategic choice” and remains committed to building EVs.
Xiaomi, the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer by shipments, announced its entry into the EV sector in 2021, with Lei calling the endeavour the “last entrepreneurship of my life”.
The Beijing-based firm showcased its first EV, the SU7, in December, after investing over 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) to develop a prototype with a team of 3,400 engineers, according to Lei.
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