Xiaomi manufactures a car every 76 seconds

Xiaomi unveils innovations that allow it to accelerate the production process of its new SU7.

While Tesla was the pioneer in large-scale die-casting, Xiaomi claims to have mastered its use in its first 100% electric sedan.

This large-scale die-casting can replace numerous individual components, which are then assembled into a single larger component. From a manufacturing standpoint, this means the factory requires less floor space. Furthermore, die-cast parts are generally lighter, which helps increase the car’s range. Several Chinese manufacturers, including XPeng and Nio, are following this path.

It might sound simple, but it is important to keep in mind that to produce such parts, a pressure of… 9,100 tons is required! Just for the rear floor of the Xiaomi SU7, produced in 100 seconds, a single piece replaces more than 70 elements that were previously stamped and welded. This means 840 fewer welding points, a 45% reduction in production time, and a lifespan 10 times greater than an assembly of components.

Xiaomi has thought of everything

One of the main criticisms of this technology is the cost of replacing the part if it is damaged. To address this, Xiaomi has surrounded the part with shock-absorbing deformable elements that can be replaced independently of the main part at a lower cost. If the latter is affected, Xiaomi considers that the car is anyway likely to be written off. This is already the case with older generation cars that cannot go through the mill, so there’s no need to cry programmed obsolescence.

The factory producing the Xiaomi SU7 features a high degree of automation and, when it reaches its maximum capacity, will be able to produce 40 cars per hour, or one every 76 seconds. There are over 700 robots in the factory and 181 units of autonomous mobile robots delivering stamped parts.