They say mimicry is the best form of flattery. Well, in that case, the Xiaomi SU7 should feel ecstatic because in what might be the first of such case for a Chinese-made vehicle, a copycat clone of the fully electric grand tourer has now been spotted over in China. That’s right – the badge of honour is not just restricted to European cars any more.
What you’re looking at here – at least according to the plaque on its number plate holder – is called the Yun Lei, made by one Shandong Yanlu New Energy. But even though it has its own name (which, if we had to guess, is also inspired by Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun), there really isn’t anything else on here that’s original.
There’s the SU7’s front fascia, lighting fixtures, bumpers, and even the brand’s signature Aqua Blue hue – all faithfully replicated onto the Yun Lei. You definitely won’t be mistaking this for a Xiaomi, though, because everything here has also seemingly been put through a hydraulic press that has squished the sleek grand tourer into a Neta V-esque SUV shape.
And of course, there’s also the tiny wheels mounted way too deep into the body shell, a common sight on these low-speed electric vehicles (LSEVs). LSEVs are a unique phenomenon found almost exclusively in China, courtesy of the nation’s unique regulations – you don’t need a driving licence to drive one of these “cars”!
These small, affordable “walking alternative vehicles”, as they’re known in China, have largely fallen off the wayside with the introduction of more complete supermini EVs like the BYD Seagull. But the existence of the Yun Lei is proof that there’s still a demand for them!
If anything, you’ll have to at least give credit to the company making these for birthing a brand new meme – Chinese netizens have taken to call the knock-off Xiaomi the “Redmi SU7”, in reference to the smartphone maker’s budget-friendly sub-brand.
The (real) Xiaomi SU7 has only recently been displayed to the public at a roadshow here in Malaysia, drawing much fanfare among the gadget fans around the grand tourer’s arrival in our country. If you’re expecting it to be launched here in Malaysia, though, bad news because the SU7 was only meant for marketing purposes only for the brand’s new smartphone launch.
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[H/T: Car News China]
