Say hello to the Zhiji L7, a new electric
car created by Zhiji Auto, a joint venture between SAIC, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech,
and the Alibaba Group. The L7 promises a sub-4-second (0-96 km/h)
time, autonomous driving, and efficient wireless charging. The buzz around the L7 began in January when
Zhiji hosted a brand launch conference, unveiling two new vehicles, an SUV and
the L7. It’s reported that the brand will start accepting reservations at the
forthcoming Shanghai Auto Show next week, with deliveries set to commence
during the first half of 2022.
The L7 is a bit of a tour de force even by
the fast-paced standards of EV tech development. One of the highlights is that
it will be the first car ever to have an 11 KW wireless charging system that is
said to have a charging efficiency of 91% and a range of up to 80 km from a
single hour of charge. The total range is quoted at 615 km with the
93 kWh battery. There will also be a long-range variant with a 118 kWh battery
that gives the L7 a whopping 1000 km range.
While the details of just how autonomous
the L7 will be aren’t clear yet, the car will be equipped with 12 cameras, 5
millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and a lidar. Meanwhile, power is
said to be 400 kW (540 hp) with a peak torque of 700 Nm, enough to
propel the L7 to 96 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
The Chinese automaker described the design
of the L7 as “pure Zhiji” in appearance, stating it will be available in three
exclusive colors, Diana White, Repin Black, and Rapheal Tea. The interior
creates a blend of classic and futuristic. A good example of this would be the
wood veneer that has reportedly been selected from the shores of Lake Como in
the Italian Alps, juxtaposed by a 39-inch 4K resolution smart screen spreading
across the dash panel. The screen is the first of its kind to be fitted to a
vehicle and runs its own intelligent OS.
