CNBC AI News | May 24 – Northeastern University’s official WeChat account recently highlighted a groundbreaking automotive material innovation in an article titled “Xiaomi YU7+ Super Steel: How a University-Lab Alliance Reinvents Automotive Safety.” The piece sheds light on a collaboration driving China’s electric vehicle (EV) ambitions.
During Xiaomi’s 15th-anniversary product launch on May 22, the tech giant unveiled its YU7 sedan featuring a revolutionary 2200MPa ultra-high-strength steel roll cage. Developed in partnership with Academician Wang Guodong’s research team at Northeastern University, materials specialist Yucaitang, and Xiaomi Auto, the material reportedly redefines vehicular structural integrity. Dubbed “Xiaomi Super Steel,” it claims the title of the industry’s strongest automotive-grade steel, surpassing conventional 1500MPa hot-formed steel by delivering a 40% boost in tensile strength.
The innovation addresses critical safety challenges: A-pillar load capacity increased by 25%, B-pillar performance surged 70.5%, and door anti-collision beams demonstrated 52.4% (front) and 37.6% (rear) enhancements in impact resistance. These metrics signal a potential paradigm shift for crash safety in mass-produced EVs.
Academician Wang, a luminary in metallurgical engineering, has spearheaded multiple national research initiatives, including China’s 973 and 863 high-tech programs. His lab at Northeastern University—now rebranded as the National Key Laboratory of Digital Steel—achieved global recognition in 2018 by pioneering 2000MPa-grade hot-formed steel. This latest 2200MPa breakthrough builds on that legacy through industry-academia collaboration.
Central to the project is Yucaitang, a startup spun off from Northeastern University in 2017. Co-founded by Professor Yi Hongliang (a Wang protégé), former General Motors researcher Dr. Xiong Xiaoquan, and University of Hong Kong scholar Huang Mingxin, the firm specializes in translating advanced steel research into automotive applications. With Yi as chief scientist, Yucaitang’s expertise spans wear-resistant alloys and precision manufacturing—critical capabilities in an era where material science increasingly dictates EV competitiveness.
This collaboration underscores China’s strategic push to dominate next-gen mobility technologies. As automakers globally race to balance safety with lightweighting demands, Xiaomi’s steel gambit—backed by academic heavyweights—positions it as an unexpected challenger in the high-stakes EV materials arena.
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