Huawei says first joint car with Chery beats Tesla Model S “in various aspects”
Huawei says its first joint electric vehicle (EV) with Chery will be superior to Tesla’s Model S “in various aspects”, South China Morning Post reports.
This claim came from Huawei’s car unit head, Richard Yu Chengdong, during a new products launch ceremony on Monday.
Huawei and Chery are jointly developing new EVs under the Luxeed brand, with the first being the coupé-like S7 as a new contender in the premium EV segment.
Chengdong did not elaborate on which features the S7 will best the Model S.
The Model S is Tesla’s most expensive and fastest car — with only dual and triple motor options in the latest range.
The standard model offers 504kW of power, while the Plaid variant boasts 760kW. All models come with a 100kWh battery to provide class-leading range.
Therefore, the Luxeed S7 will need to pack some impressive hardware to beat Tesla’s most luxurious car in power and range.
Luxeed S7 electric vehicle
According to CarNewsChina, the entry-level Luxeed S7 will only feature a single 215kW motor on its rear axle and a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery from CATL, with an as-yet-unknown capacity.
A higher-end option with a combined 365kW power will boast a hybrid M3P battery, which combines LFP with ternary cells for better performance in the cold.
This hybrid battery was supposed to feature first in Tesla’s new Model 3 Highland.
If these specifications turn out to be accurate, it seems highly unlikely that the Luxeed S7 will beat the Model S in speed, although it might offer better range.
Luxeed S7 rear
Another feature Chengdong could have been referring to was self-driving capability.
The Luxeed S7 will be the first car to run Huawei’s Harmony OS and will boast LiDAR to enable Huawei’s latest autonomous driving system — ADS 2.0.
Tesla does not use LiDAR on any of its cars and instead relies on regular cameras and machine learning software to offer semi-autonomous driving capability.
Many manufacturers regard LiDAR sensors as critical in advancing self-driving tech due to the technology’s ability to detect objects regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
The Luxeed S7 will be officially unveiled in the Chinese market in late November 2023.
Chery has surged in popularity in South Africa due to its value-for-money offerings in the Tiggo Pro range.
According to Top Auto, the manufacturer currently anticipates bringing its first plug-in hybrid models to South Africa in early 2024.
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