Xiaomi electric car buyers face up to 6-month wait

Just days after Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi launched its first electric vehicle, buyers have been told they may have to wait up to six months for their car to be delivered. As part of its campaign to promote the SU7, Xiaomi also released special versions of the car called the Founder's Edition, that come with free gifts, such as fridges. Xiaomi's EVs are made by a unit of state-owned car manufacturer BAIC Group at a plant in Beijing that can produce as many as 200,000 vehicles a year. Tesla, which is headed by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, has cut the cost of its cars in China by thousands of dollars in recent months as local rivals like the world's top-selling EV maker BYD have slashed prices. In an indication of the challenges facing technology firms who want to make electric cars, iPhone maker Apple last month reportedly cancelled its plans to build an EV. Last week, BYD posted record annual profits but said growth had slowed towards the end of last year. Shanghai-based electric car maker Nio also lowered its forecast for first quarter deliveries as consumers tightened spending as China's economic growth weakens. Dealing with an electric car fire takes up to 10 times longer than tackling a conventional fire.