Beijing: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Wednesday said it has received more than 1,00,000 orders for its first car - a sporty electric vehicle (EV) called the SU7 - as it began deliveries.
"Xiaomi's car officially debuts, the real revolution in smart cars has officially begun, and China will surely give birth to a great company like Tesla," CEO and founder Lei Jun said at a ceremony in Beijing marking the first deliveries.
The first deliveries come from a limited batch of 5,000 cars that Xiaomi had already produced - called the "Founder's Edition," equipped with additional accessories for early buyers.
Following last week's launch of the SU7 - short for Speed Ultra 7 - Xiaomi advised buyers of its sedan that they could face wait times of four to seven months, a sign of robust demand.
Xiaomi's shares surged as much as 16 per cent on Tuesday as the SU7 drew strong interest, though a brokerage forecast the firm would lose nearly $10,000 per car this year. Its shares traded more than 3 per cent lower Wednesday morning, against a 1.1 per cent fall in the broader Hang Seng Index.