Farley revealed he's been behind the wheel of a Xiaomi SU7 EV during an interview with Robert Llewellyn on the Fully Charged podcast. The Ford boss didn't hold back his praise for the vehicle.
"I don't like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi," Farley said. "It's fantastic."
The car was shipped from Shanghai to Chicago for evaluation. It's unusual for an automaker CEO to speak so highly of a competitor's product, especially one from a challenging market like China.
“We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up,” Farley confessed to Llewellyn.
Xiaomi, known for smartphones, has made a splash with its first car. The SU7 electric sedan has been selling between 10,000 to 20,000 units monthly and is sold out for the next six months.
The entry-level SU7 comes with rear-wheel drive, packing 295 hp and a 73.6 kWh battery. It boasts an impressive range of 435 miles (700 km). The SU7 Pro ups the ante with a bigger battery and 516 miles (830 km) of range.
For those craving more power, the SU7 Max offers all-wheel drive with two motors, pumping out 663 hp. It can sprint from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds and still manages a 497-mile (800 km) range.
Despite the car's success, Xiaomi's venture into the automotive world hasn't been smooth sailing. The company has been losing about $9,200 per car in the first half of the year.
Source: Fully Charged