Tesla’s Model Y SUV topped the EV sales charts in China last month, but the competition is hotting up. BYD sold nearly as many EVs as Tesla in the last quarter and there are desirable new models arriving from other automakers intent on stealing Tesla’s thunder, including Geely’s handsome, tech-heavy Jiyue 01.
Jiyue, which rebranded from Jidu, is a joint project between Geely and tech and search giant Baudi, often referred to as “China’s Google.” The pair’s 01, itself a production version of last year’s Robot-01 concept, has just gone on sale, and it looks like a strong package. Despite being bigger than a Model Y in every dimension, including wheelbase, the 01 is less expensive. An entry-level 01 Max starts at 249,900 yuan ($34,000), while Bloomberg reports that a base Model Y stickers at 263,900 yuan ($36,000).
The Max is a single-motor EV with 268 hp (272 PS / 200 kW) that can accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.2 seconds and travel 342 miles (550 km) on a full charge of its 71.4 kWh LFP battery. For an additional 45,000 yuan ($6,150), buyers can upgrade to a 100 kWh ternary lithium pack that drops the sprint time to 6.9 seconds and boosts the range to 447 miles (720 km).
Related: Jiyue Robo-01 EV Coming In 2023 With Level 4 Autonomy And A $30k Price Tag
Alternately, they can step up to the dual-motor Max Performance, which doubles the power output to 536 hp (544 PS / 400 kW), cuts the 62 mph time to 3.8 seconds and gives a range of 410 miles (660 km) from its 100 kWh battery, according to Car News China.
Looking rather like a cut-price Lotus Eletre, the stylish 01 features frameless doors, no exterior door handles, and a discrete active spoiler below the rear window. And things look every bit as good on the inside, where the new EV offers a massive 35.6-inch widescreen digital dashboard with 6K resolution and speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip. One of the images on Jiyue’s website shows two people playing a racing video game from inside the car, one controlling his car with the steering wheel, while another uses a traditional gaming joypad.
And the tech doesn’t stop there. The SIMO voice interaction system can control all kinds of car features, including the electric windows, and Baidu has developed two different autonomous packages using seven 8-megapixel cameras, four 3-megapixel cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, and five millimeter-wave radars.
Like its Model Y rival, the 01’s Robo Drive and Robo Drive Max don’t use Lidar, whereas the concept version of the 01 revealed in July last year did have two Lidar sensors. Last summer Geely was talking about the production version offering Level 4 autonomy, but it doesn’t look like we’re there yet.
Would you take a Jiyue 01 over a Tesla Model Y if it was available in your country?
Sources: Bloomberg, Car News China