Man gets behind the wheel of Chinese EV dubbed a ‘Tesla killer’ and shows why other carmakers should be worried
Published on Mar 09, 2026 at 8:22 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 09, 2026 at 8:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
When this man got in the driver’s seat of this ‘Tesla Killer’ Chinese EV, he quickly realized why other carmakers would have reason to get nervous.
The car in question was the Xiaomi YU7 Max, and Supercar Blondie’s Nathan Bain got to take a closer look at it.
It’s very much been a war of the EVs lately, and Chinese cars have been at the forefront of this international rivalry.
What is it about the YU7 Max that has earned it the nickname ‘Tesla Killer’?
Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology
This Chinese EV has been called the ‘Tesla Killer,’ but is that nickname relevant?
If there’s one thing to know about the YU7, it’s that it is notoriously hard to get hold of in the US.
So much so that its mere appearance on an American road was enough to generate headlines.
But you may have also heard its nickname – Tesla Killer – being batted about on the internet.
It’s no wonder – the YU7 can travel up to 519 miles on a single charge, outsizing the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which tops out at 447 miles.
On speed, it’s a similar story, with the YU7 capable of going from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds compared to the Model Y’s 4.3 seconds.
So, Supercar Blondie’s Nathan Bain decided to take a closer look at the YU7 to see what all the hype was about.
The car he looked at had a stunning two-tone orange and black interior, spread out across the cockpit.
This was a stunning car inside and out, in addition to being a powerful rocket of a machine.
“Should Ferrari and Tesla be worried?” Bain asked.
With zero-gravity seats and opening mechanisms linked to the driver’s phone, there’s a lot to be impressed with here.
Check out the video above to see his full opinion.
EVs in China are making some big moves on the world stage
There’s been an awful lot said about Chinese EVs in recent years.
With the rise of brands like BYD, Western manufacturers have been pushed to up their game.
That includes companies like Tesla and Ford.
Jim Farley, the CEO at Ford, said that taking apart Chinese EVs was an eye-opening experience.
It helped him realize that he could stand to take some cues from Chinese manufacturers in order to cut manufacturing costs.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
