Technology giants becoming into carmakers: Top passenger EVs from tech brands
- Over the last few years, several global technology giants have entered the electric vehicle industry with their respective models.
The auto industry has been witnessing a massive shift to electric vehicles. Amidst this swing towards electric vehicles, legacy auto manufacturers and mobility startups are not the only ones trying their luck with vehicles powered by electric propulsion systems. Several global technology companies too are also bringing their respective electric vehicles. In the last few years, Google-backed Waymo, Apple, Sony, and Xiaomi have become the leading names among the technology companies that have shown their interest in making electric vehicles.
The technology giants' association with the mobility industry is nothing new. However, to date, the technology companies used to be tech suppliers for auto manufacturers. But, in the last few years, the situation has evolved drastically and the technology providers have been trying to become new-age mobility companies as well as automobile manufacturers.
Also Read : Xiaomi SU7 EV with more than 650 bhp revealed, is Xiaomi's first electric car
Here are the top electric cars that have been designed and developed by technology companies.
Popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi has unveiled its first electric vehicle in China. Christened as Xiaomi SU7 it is a pure electric sedan. The manufacturer showcased two versions of the SU7 - one is with Lidar and another is without Lidar. There will be two powertrain options for the EV - RWD and AWD. The electric sedan will go on sale in three variants - SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max. Xiaomi claims the SU7 RWD version gets a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle. It produces 295 bhp whereas the AWD version produces 663 bhp power.
Apple has been mulling the idea to launch an electric car over the last couple of years. The dramatic rise of electric vehicles has been fuelling that dream. Christened as Project Titan, Apple has been working on EV technology since 2014. The tech giant intends to bring an autonomous-driving electric car to the market. The Apple car would come sans any steering wheel or pedals and would feature VR technology instead of conventional windows. It is likely to break cover in physical form within a few years.
Besides Chinese tech giants like Xiaomi and Huawei, Oppo is another major player in the smartphone market. Beyond that, it aims to enter into the fiercely competitive electric car market. The tech company is planning to build an electric car that will primarily come as a small and affordable model. Oppo has not revealed much details, but it has made things clear about its ambition to become an EV player.
Sony joined hands with Honda to make its own electric car. The two company christened their joint venture Afeela. Sony even showcased an electric sedan concept called Vision S, which previewed a sleek and stylish electric car. This EV is claimed to come as a testbed of a wide range of connected vehicle technologies. Sony has claimed that it will come with more than 40 different sensors for various functions.
11.6 kwh
344 km