Xiaomi EREV with longest electric range has 3-year oil interval to bridge EV service gap

Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun pegged its new Skynomad N70 SUV as the EREV with the longest electric range on a charge.

The RWD Max version is capable of traveling more than 500 km (314 miles) on a charge thanks to the unusually large for an extended-range electric vehicle battery. Its 76 kWh capacity is actually the average for pure electric cars, let alone plug-in hybrids and EREVs. Granted, it is the Leapmotor D19 that offers the largest battery ever in an EREV, but it is also bigger and heavier, so it comes with a shorter range on a charge according to the same CLTC cycle testing routine.

While extended-range EVs like Xiaomi's Skynomad line are increasingly blurring the lines between electric cars and gas-powered vehicles with those huge battery packs, buyers who are on the fence are also considering the fact that they need to be serviced more often.

As many a Tesla owner would attest, they are usually only topping up the washer fluid as a maintenance routine, and this type of carefree living is what automakers want to recreate to nudge customers into buying an EREV.

That is why Xiaomi has teamed up with Shell to develop exclusive low-viscosity oil for the 1.5-liter onboard generator that only needs to be changed every three years. A 3-year oil service interval is what many a gas car owner can only dream of and practically closes the gap with an EV maintenance routine.

The $1,100 Harbin Dongan 1.5T engine that Xiaomi uses to charge the battery while in motion has a particularly high peak efficiency rating of more than 44% and pushes 4 kWh per liter of fuel to the electric powertrain. For the Sky Nomad N70 Max SUV, this translates to the maximum advertised 505 km CLTC electric range or 1,500 km (937 miles) total range until the 68-liter gas tank is emptied.

What this record electric range means in practice is that the owners of a Xiaomi Skynomad EREV can cover the vast majority of their travel needs with the battery power alone. The gas generator won't need to be fired even on longer trips, as the battery charges in 18 minutes, so most of the time it would just sit still.

This has enabled Xiaomi to offer the 3-year oil change interval to its Skynomad customers, essentially bridging the gap with EVs when it comes to service visits. If that is not enough, the SkyNomad N70 Max not only offers a much longer total range than a Model Y but is also priced lower, from the equivalent of $36,200.