Supercars are an unattainable dream for many people. Compared to luxury models that often cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, supercars typically fetch prices in the millions, far beyond the reach of most. However, as Chinese automotive brands lead the new energy race, more affordable electric supercars may offer some individuals the chance to realize their "supercar dream."

Million-yuan supercars from domestic brands are here. Recently, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra production version successfully gained attention with a pre-sale price of 814,900 yuan. Within just 10 minutes of opening pre-sales, orders exceeded 3,680 units. This is not the first time a Chinese brand has released a million-yuan supercar. Models like the Aion Hyper SSR and BYD Atto 3 U9 have made electric supercars more common among Chinese consumers, and targeting the million-yuan supercar market has become a choice for many domestic brands. In this feast, who is truly premium, and who is just joining the fun?

The burden of domestic automakers' supercar dreams

A domestic automaker that does not want to make supercars is not a good brand. The supercar dreams of domestic automakers can be traced back to 2003 when Geely launched China's first domestically produced sports car, the Meirenbao, and BYD introduced the convertible sports car BYD S8. Unfortunately, these cars only had the shape of sports cars but not their spirit.

At that time, Chinese domestic automotive brands were relatively weak in technological accumulation and R&D capabilities, making it difficult to achieve breakthroughs in sports cars, which have extremely high performance requirements. The lack of key technologies such as power systems, chassis tuning, and lightweight design made these models unable to compete with overseas sports cars in performance.

There were also issues with product quality and reputation in the early stages of domestic automotive brands, which to some extent affected consumers' trust and willingness to purchase sports cars. Additionally, domestic car buyers prioritized practicality, leading to the failure of domestic automakers' initial sports car dreams.

The right time to realize the supercar dream

Since electric motors took over from internal combustion engines, domestic automakers have had more opportunities for a comeback. Relying on the popularity of new energy vehicles, domestic automakers have outperformed overseas counterparts in market performance. At the same time, product design has continued to break through, repeatedly breaking through the technological and price barriers of overseas automakers in the supercar field.

Sports cars, which domestic automakers repeatedly failed to produce in the fuel vehicle era, have ushered in a new turning point in the new energy era. Nowadays, major domestic brands have brought significant products, such as the Nezha GT, MG Cyberster, small sports car SC01, as well as million-yuan models like the Hyper SSR and BYD Atto 3 U9, along with the popular Xiaomi SU7 Ultra production version. Featuring dual V8s+V6s three-motor, four-wheel drive, a maximum output power of up to 1,548 horsepower, a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of only 1.98 seconds, a 0-200 km/h acceleration time of 5.86 seconds, a 0-400m acceleration time of 9.23 seconds, and a top speed exceeding 350 km/h, its performance data is impressive.

The development of domestic new energy technology has significantly lowered the performance threshold for sports cars. Electric sports cars use electric motors as a power source, and the torque output characteristics of electric motors determine that they can instantly reach peak torque without going through the complex combustion process and torque rise phase like fuel engines. This instant and efficient power output allows electric sports cars to easily surpass fuel sports cars of the same class in acceleration performance, providing drivers with a more powerful acceleration experience.

However, the limitations of electric supercars are also evident. The power output characteristics of batteries are vigorous in the initial stage but quickly decline in the later stages, unable to maintain the same sustained power output as fuel engines. Frequent acceleration and deceleration of the motor can also easily lead to battery overheating issues. At this time, the battery will limit power output due to overheat protection.

Electric supercars also face weight challenges. Electric supercars need to carry heavier battery packs to ensure sufficient range. This results in the overall weight of electric supercars usually being heavier than fuel sports cars of the same class or price. For example, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 weighs 1,575 kg, but its successor, the Revuelto, weighs 1,772 kg when fully charged. In electric supercars, an excessively heavy body can lead to decreased acceleration, braking, and handling performance, thereby affecting the driving experience.

Not for volume or joining the fun

Although electric supercars may reach high levels in design and technology, due to their unique positioning and market demand, sales of electric supercars are usually far lower than those of ordinary models, making it difficult to achieve large-scale production and sales.

Entering the field of electric supercars is challenging, but the significance of domestic automakers developing electric supercars does not lie in their contribution to brand sales performance but rather in the added value they bring - brand power. As high-performance, high-tech models, the research and development and production of electric supercars require automakers to possess strong technological strength and innovation capabilities. By launching electric supercars, domestic automakers can showcase their technological accumulation and innovation capabilities in new energy, intelligent driving, lightweight design, and other areas to enhance brand image and value.

In the increasingly competitive new energy vehicle market, domestic automakers need to continuously launch competitive products to seize market share. As a high-end product in the new energy vehicle market, the launch of electric supercars can enhance the competitiveness of domestic automakers in this market and elevate their market position.

For domestic brands striving to achieve premiumization, deploying supercar products is an indispensable part because supercars greatly enhance brand image and lay the foundation for subsequent high-volume products. For example, Aion's Hyper GT applies many technologies from the Hyper SSR, and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra production technology is expected to be applied to other more affordable products.

The transfer of technology from million-yuan models to high-volume models can enhance the status and image of the latter in the minds of consumers. At the same time, automakers creating million-yuan supercars can also increase the premium ability of their models, thereby generating more profits for the brand.

Currently, the field of pure electric supercars is also a blank area. Although there have been earlier attempts such as Qiantu Motor's K50, NIO's EP9, and Hongqi's S9, they have failed in the market or are produced in limited quantities and not officially launched. Among overseas automakers, even though major supercar brands have a century of technological accumulation, their transition to electrification has been slow, with their supercars primarily focusing on traditional fuel models. Therefore, domestic and foreign automakers have barely deployed models in the field of pure electric supercars, making it a new market to be explored.

Ordinary People's Car Reviews

We are at the cusp of a new round of change in the automotive industry. The convergence of the new four modernizations and new consumption trends has forced century-old supercar brands to transition to new energy. From Aston Martin to Ferrari, Lamborghini to Bugatti, more and more supercar brands are entering the new energy race, gradually letting go of their prejudices and actively embracing electrification.

Domestic automakers continue to make efforts in the field of electric supercars, with acceleration performance comparable to models from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and even Bugatti, significantly lowering the threshold for consumers to realize their supercar dreams. With the rise of new energy vehicles and the gradual introduction of fuel vehicle bans, the era of fuel supercars is coming to an end, and the era of electric supercars has begun. Nowadays, electric supercars seem to have become a necessary path for new brands to enhance their status, with ambitions to achieve brand upward mobility through pure electric supercars, whether it's Xiaomi, Aion, or BYD.