Video: Tesla Model S Plaid loses drag race to cheaper Xiaomi SU7 Ultra

Xiaomi is a relatively new EV maker, but that has not stopped it from selling over 20,000 cars monthly. Just why the company has received rave reviews on its nascent automobile business was recently demonstrated when its product wiped the floor with one of Tesla’s halo wares.

The Xiaomi SU7 was meant to compete with the Tesla Model 3, but the Ultra version of the Chinese car beat the Model S Plaid in a drag race despite being significantly cheaper. The SU7 Ultra costs about $72,800, while the Model S Plaid sets buyers back $112,000 in China.

In the short clip uploaded by Tesla Geek on YouTube, the SU7 starts slower but quickly catches up with the more expensive competitor before completely eclipsing it.

For comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid offers 1,020 hp on a tri-motor AWD configuration, while the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra outputs 1,526 hp on a similar drivetrain. The former goes from 0 to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds, while the latter takes only 1.98 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 1.98 seconds. Xiaomi claims the SU7 Ultra is the fastest mass-produced four-door sedan capable of reaching 350 km/h.