Xiaomi Peng Cheng will be released on July 30. Lei Jun: Only do range-extender; pure electric batteries are too heavy.

recently, Xiaomi Motors founder Lei Jun posted on social media, explaining why the entire new Xiaomi Pengcheng series only uses range-extender technology and is temporarily not releasing a pure electric version.

Lei Jun pointed out three core reasons: The boxy shape of the Pengcheng series causes excessive wind resistance, and the full-size, large-space vehicles are very heavy. If a pure electric version with long range required an oversized battery, it would further increase weight, which in turn would negatively affect range.

Lei Jun stated that a large battery range-extender can achieve a weekly charge for daily commuting with pure electric driving, with the range extender providing backup in extreme situations, completely eliminating charging anxiety and making maintenance more convenient.

Previously, the company also responded that over the past three years, the ultra-long range capability of Xiaomi Motors' pure electric series has been fully verified by users. However, users' living environments, driving habits, and charging conditions vary, and many users still have demands for ultra-long range that requires only one recharge.

When the Pengcheng series was officially planned and initiated in early 2023, range-extender technology was chosen as the powertrain form, with in-depth research and optimization improvements. The purpose of using range-extender is to maximize the pure electric driving experience.

Xiaomi Pengcheng is an SUV series under Xiaomi Motors, positioned as a smart, variable large-space SUV series. It was registered on April 3, 2023, developed based on the Xiaomi Kunlun architecture, and runs parallel to the SU7/YU7 as a dual series.

As of June 30, 2026, a total of 566 test vehicles have been deployed, covering 4.28 million kilometers of real-world road testing. The Pengcheng series plans to release two models: a five-seat version and a seven-seat version, both using range-extender powertrain.

In early July, the latest declaration catalog from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed two declaration entries for Xiaomi Pengcheng N90 Max and N70 Max.

The exterior of the Pengcheng N90 features Xiaomi's iconic "Mi" style LED light clusters, with the front grille merging with the light clusters on both sides to form a through-type panel design, with the English logo "SKYNOMAD" printed on it.

In terms of power, it is equipped with the 1.5T engine from Harbin Dongan Automotive Engine Co., Ltd., model code M15DRE, as the range extender. The engine has a maximum power of 112 kW, the drive motor has a peak power of 210 kW/100 kW, and it is paired with a 76 kWh large-capacity battery, offering a WLTC pure electric range of 363 to 370 km.

The Pengcheng N70 has a similar appearance to the N90, with the main difference being in size. It is positioned as a mid-to-large SUV with a five-seat layout.

The powertrain also uses the 1.5T range extender with model code M15DRE, with a maximum power of 112 kW. It offers single-motor and dual-motor versions, with the single-motor version having a maximum power of 210 kW, and the dual-motor version rated at 210 kW/100 kW respectively.

The battery is available in 52 kWh and 76 kWh options, corresponding to pure electric ranges of 270/265 km and 380/375 km respectively.