Xiaomi unveils its first range-extender SUV and it looks like a private jet on wheels
- Xiaomi reveals its first extended-range electric vehicle
- SkyNomad will sit separately from its pure EV Xiaomi Auto company
- The 1.5-liter engine is manufactured by Changan’s subsidiary Harbin Dongang
Xiaomi is set to enter the hotly contested luxury SUV sector with an all-new business that it has dubbed SkyNomad.
Fresh off the success of both the SU7 and YU7, the former of which has outsold the Tesla Model 3 in the Chinese market, smartphone-maker Xiaomi sees a gap in the market for its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), which sees a gasoline engine act as a generator to charge battery packs on the move.
While the powertrain is still in its infancy in Europe, with just the Leapmotor C10 REEV and Mazda MX-30 R-EV currently on sale in many markets, it has experienced sales success in much of China.
Li Auto is the current market leader, with six models offering a mix of combustion engines and battery packs, while AITO, Deepal, Avatar and Leapmotor also offer similar solutions.
Unlike traditional plug-in hybrids, which use a gas engine to drive the wheels or charge the batteries, EREVs rely solely on a fully electric powertrain for propulsion, with the combustion engine serving as a generator to charge the batteries.
According to Car News China, Xiaomi’s SkyNomad brand will offer the N70 and N90, the latter coming as a full-size, three-row SUV with rotating front seats, a full leather premium interior, and an N90 Max Camping Edition that adds a pop-up roof and a built-in side awning for upmarket camping trips.
SkyNomad is also selling the idea of modularity, stating in its promotional material that the cabin can transform into a studio for one, a cafe for two, a meeting room for three, or a play area for the whole family.
Under the skin, a 1.5-liter gasoline engine from Changan’s subsidiary, Harbin Dongang, sends power to a 76 kWh ternary NMC battery pack in the N90, while a pair of electric motors team up to deliver 310 kW (416 hp) of power.
Analysis: unnecessarily enormous
Xiaomi’s decision to launch an EREV-focused brand, SkyNomad, is a clear shot at market leader Li Auto, which is experiencing a 74% year-over-year sales decline in the first four months of 2026, according to Electrek.
The introduction of EREVs to Xiaomi’s stable will undoubtedly help it boost sales in China, but it’s difficult to get away from the fact that the N90 is absolutely enormous. It measures over five meters in length and weighs 3,361 kg, which makes the 416 hp feel slightly underpowered.
Car News China says the N90 can manage around 230 miles before the batteries are depleted, by which point the 1.5-liter engine is called upon. Overall range is in excess of 1,500 km — or around 930 miles.
It’s also interesting that Xiaomi, a company that found great success with pure EVs, is pivoting back to fossil fuels.
All of the PR coming out of China suggests that its public EV charging network is both faster and more widespread than most other markets, which raises the question of why the market needs big, heavy range extenders like this in the first place.
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