Fast Lane
Self-driving Xiaomi EV sets lap record in Germany
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The Xiaomi YU7 GT lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 10min 29.483sec, setting the record for an autonomous car in June.
PHOTO: XIAOMI
Xiaomi flaunts driverless technology on racetrack
Forget robotaxis. Chinese tech giant Xiaomi wants to prove that its driverless technology can lap a racetrack at speed.
In June, its YU7 GT with Track Package blitzed the 20.8km Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany in 10min 29.483sec, setting the circuit’s autonomous driving lap record. However, this trails a human-driven lap set in May in a similar car by three minutes, suggesting that the autonomous tech still has some catching up to do.
A dual-motor electric vehicle, the YU7 GT produces a combined output of 738kW and gets to 100kmh from rest in 2.92 seconds. Xiaomi currently builds only left-hand-drive cars, ruling out a Singapore launch for now.
Mercedes’ first Category A COE electric seven-seater
Mercedes-Benz Singapore president and chief executive Marcel Luis Mustelier Perez launching the electric Mercedes-Benz GLB on June 23 at the Mercedes-Benz Center in Alexandra Road.
ST PHOTO: LEE NIAN TJOE
Producing 110kW, the Mercedes-Benz GLB200 electric is the brand’s first electric seven-seat sport utility vehicle to compete in the Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) segment.
The car was launched alongside the GLB250+ at the brand’s Alexandra Road showroom on June 23, marking the arrival of the second-generation GLB-class.
While the GLB200 electric has a 58kWh battery, the 200kW GLB250+ has an 85kWh one.
In the coming months, the GLB range will expand to include a 130hp GLB180 hybrid and a 163hp GLB200 hybrid, both powered by a 1.5-litre engine. In the meantime, the current GLB180, which was facelifted in 2024, remains on sale.
Mercedes-Benz Singapore president and chief executive Marcel Luis Mustelier Perez expects the electric GLB to form the bulk of local sales as interest in EVs continues to surge.
The GLB200 electric is priced at $280,888 with COE, $30,000 less than the GLB250+.
All Mercedes-Benz EVs have an integrated app that lets drivers pay for charging across different operators without needing multiple apps. A Mercedes-Benz spokesman notes that plans are afoot to extend this charging access to Malaysia.
Wheels Of Hope charity dinner
The Singapore Motor Cycle Trade Association is holding a charity dinner on July 11.
PHOTO: SMCTA/FACEBOOK
The Singapore Motor Cycle Trade Association is holding a charity dinner, Wheels Of Hope, on July 11 at Jubilee Garden Restaurant at SAFRA Toa Payoh. Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Desmond Tan will be the guest of honour at the event, which also features a Chinese calligraphy art auction.
Seats are priced at $150 each or $1,200 a table. All proceeds and donations are tax-deductible and will go to the Singapore Children’s Society. Register at wheelsforhope2026rsvp.touchxpoint.com/
