Driving Innovation: China's new energy vehicle displays evident in Xiaomi's first car

In December 2023, a wave of new energy vehicle (NEV) releases swept through the Chinese automotive market, with the debut of Xiaomi’s first car garnering widespread attention. As numerous new models were unveiled, the competition in China’s NEV market intensified, and automotive displays emerged as a key component for highlighting cockpit differentiation.

This blog is a brief analysis of key development trends in China’s NEV automotive display market, and a comparative study of the automotive displays in three similar models: Xiaomi SU7, ZEEKR 007, and Luxeed S7.

Floating center stack display as a mainstream design

In the realm of NEVs, automotive displays are progressively evolving toward larger sizes, offering a generous space for information display. The standard configuration of instrument panels, combined with a floating center stack display, has become mainstream. For instance, the Xiaomi SU7 features a 7.1-inch instrument cluster paired with a 16.1-inch 3K resolution Mini LED backlight center stack display, while the ZEEKR 007’s 13.02-inch instrument cluster is complemented by a 15.05-inch 2.5K OLED center stack display, and Luxeed S7’s 12.3-inch ICD pairs with a 15.6-inch 2K resolution CSD. This design not only simplifies interior aesthetics but also enhances the user experience by integrating more infotainment and control functions.

Figure 1: NEV interiors

Source: Xiaomi, ZEEKR, and Luxeed

Supply chain advantage and the rise of the local automotive industry

The display suppliers for all three vehicles are Chinese panel makers. With the continuous improvement of China’s domestic automotive manufacturing capabilities, the competitive advantage of domestic panel makers in the automotive display sector is increasingly evident. The formation of this local supply chain not only enhances supply efficiency but also provides more opportunities for domestic panel makers. According to Omdia’s Automotive Display Intelligence Service, Chinese panel makers accounted for 50% of the overall shipment of automotive displays in the third quarter of 2023, establishing their dominance.

Figure 2: Automotive display shipments

Source: Omdia

Diversified automotive display technologies

As new players, including smartphone makers, transition into the competitive NEV market, diversification has become the choice of automotive display technologies. From LTPS LCD to Mini LED backlight and OLED, emerging players in the automotive sector show a higher level of interest and acceptance of new display technologies. For instance, the Xiaomi SU7’s center stack display adopts China Star’s Mini LED backlight solution, while ZEEKR 007 opts for BOE’s OLED solution, further elevating the technological appeal of the vehicle interiors and providing users with a superior display experience.

It’s worth mentioning that, with the widespread adoption of intelligent driving, head-up display (HUD) technology is gradually becoming a standard feature in the CNY 300,000-class vehicle segment. Both the Xiaomi SU7 and the ZEEKR 007 adopt a narrow strip instrument cluster paired with an AR-HUD configuration, providing high-brightness navigation and driving information to help drivers remain focused on the road. The advancement of intelligent driving technology further propels the upgrade of HUD technology and its popularization in the market.

To read more insights and analysis covering market trends and industry forecasts prepared by Omdia’s Display practice, click here.