Xiaomi SU7 Max shatters record in 24 hour speed-endurance challenge

19 January 2026

Electric cars are slowly moving away from squabbling over who has the biggest battery or the fanciest touchscreen. In China, carmakers are shifting toward a more brutal way to prove their worth: endurance. In the latest attempt, the next-generation Xiaomi SU7 Max took to a high-speed track to see exactly how much ground it could cover in a single day. When the clock stopped after 24 hours of nonstop driving and charging, the sedan had traveled 2,650 miles.

In case you didn't know that already, this is a new world record for mass-produced EVs in this specific type of test. That is almost the driving distance from New York City to Los Angeles, or from Madrid in Spain to Moscow in Russia. And to cover both distances nonstop, you'd need nearly 48 hours. Xiaomi's performance beat the previous record holder, the Xpeng Next P7, which managed 2,461 miles last year. It also flew past luxury giants like the Porsche Taycan and the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which covered 2,128 miles and 2,310 miles respectively in similar tests.

The test took place on a 7.8-km oval track in Yancheng, China. For the entire 24 hours, the Xiaomi SU7 Max maintained speeds of up to 149 mph. Xiaomi's CEO, Lei Jun, described the event as "running a marathon at sprint speed." This kind of driving is incredibly hard on a vehicle as it creates massive amounts of heat in the motors and batteries, which can usually slow an electric car down.

To handle the heat, the SU7 uses a specialized thermal management system - the same one found in the high-performance SU7 Ultra. It kept the 101.7-kWh battery cool enough to maintain high speeds and accept rapid charges. During the 24-hour run, the car had to stop several times to plug in, but it didn't stay parked for long. Thanks to its 897V architecture, the car can add 416 miles of range in just 15 minutes.

The secret to this record-breaking run lies in the hardware. The 2026 Xiaomi SU7 Max has been upgraded with the V6s Plus motors, which can spin at 22,000 rpm. This allows the car to reach a top speed of 165 mph. For daily driving, the car offers a total range of 519 miles on a full charge. It is fast, and it is also powerful, producing 495 kW (about 673 horsepower) and 618 lb-ft of torque.

Safety was also a major part of the latest update. The sedan has a reinforced body made to withstand heavy impacts, with an integrated anti-roll structure and nine airbags to protect everyone inside. Even though it is a performance beast, the car is sized like a comfortable family sedan. It measures 196.7 inches long, 77.3 inches wide, and 56.7 inches tall, with a long 118 inches wheelbase that provides plenty of legroom inside the vehicle.

Xiaomi has been moving fast since it entered the EV market. The company might be famous for its smartphones, but its electric cars are quickly gaining fans. In 2025, the brand delivered over 411,000 vehicles. The next-generation Xiaomi SU7 Max will officially launch in April 2026. The company is already taking pre-orders for the car, which carries a price tag of RMB 309,900 (£32,370).

For a car that can break world endurance records and outrun most sports cars, that price is catching the attention of a lot of drivers everywhere. The endurance test shows that EVs are capable of handling extreme conditions, with Xiaomi proving that the gap between legacy automakers and tech-focused startups is closing fast.

Via