Chinese electric cars: Here's why they are one step ahead of the others

Cars made in China are cheaper, but also 'smarter', so much so that they deserve the new EIV acronym. And it is CATL that says so

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra

Photo by: Xiaomi

By: Francesco Barontini

Published by: Brian Potter

Feb 2, 2025 at 3:55am ET

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The recent assertion by CATL's top management that Chinese cars do indeed have an advantage is more than just biased. After all, their growth in international markets shows that they are products with a growing reputation, which cannot be justified solely on the basis of more competitive prices.

The vice-president of the Chinese battery giant, Pan Jian, even went a step further by creating a new acronym for 'home' electrics, no longer EV but EIV, with the extra 'I' standing for 'intelligent'. In fact, he said, they offer more advanced technology and capabilities than traditional petrol cars.

The numbers confirm this

If we leave Tesla out of the equation, the most interesting figures in the car market, and in particular the electric car market, are close to those of Chinese manufacturers, which, according to the latest figures, will achieve a 25% increase in global sales and a volume of more than 17 million units by 2024.

This represents more than 60% of the total number of EVs sold worldwide. It should be noted, however, that the richest and fastest-growing market (40%) is still China, where, apart from Tesla, domestic brands dominate.

Xiaomi SU7

In any case, as reported by several online newspapers, at the World Economic Forum held a few days ago in Switzerland, the co-chairman of the CATL said that the rapid growth of Chinese cars was due precisely to the evolution from EV to EIV and the offer of new features that were not possible with traditional cars equipped with internal combustion engines.

Science fiction connectivity

For example, the SU7, the latest four-wheeler launched last March by mobile phone giant Xiaomi, which uses CATL batteries, offers an infotainment system with a 16.1-inch ultra-lightweight screen supported by Apple CarPlay and a 56-inch head-up display at a price of around £25,000, technologies that we find in much more expensive premium European cars.

Xiaomi SU7

XIaomi SU7

XIaomi SU7, the interior

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In addition, the driver can remotely control over 1,000 home devices, integrating advanced connectivity and home automation. Not to mention the driver assistance provided by a complex of 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, LiDAR and the services of the NVIDIA Drive Orin platform, the SU7 includes advanced ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

CATL also wants to build cars

CATL itself recently unveiled its proposed high-security skateboard platform, called Bedrock Chassis, which promises to open up a new market for intelligent vehicle design with an estimated turnover of more than €130 billion.