Huawei Maextro S800 deliveries start on June 26

Huawei, the global technology powerhouse, is wading deeper into the electric car market with its premium Maextro brand, and its first offering is impossible to ignore. The Maextro S800, a palatial electric sedan, is beginning its first deliveries on June 26, starting with the exclusive Pioneer Edition. With 5,000 orders already logged, it seems high-end car buyers are ready for a new, tech-forward status symbol.

This new entry into the luxury EV space makes a statement with its sheer size alone. The Maextro S800 measures a massive 215.7 inches in length, 79 inches in width, and stands 60.5 inches tall. Its wheelbase stretches to an impressive 132.7 inches.

According to Richard Yu, the chairman of Huawei's smart car division, these dimensions place the S800 in the top 0.01% of all vehicles on the road by size. Despite its grand scale, the initial pre-sale price estimates have been revised, with the final range settling between a more accessible, yet still premium, $145,600 to $218,500.

The exterior design of the S800 is a deliberate effort to merge classic luxury with a futuristic aesthetic. Available initially in an unconventional purple-silver or a more traditional all-black, the vehicle commands attention. One of its most talked-about features is the wheel design, which Chinese media have playfully nicknamed "flatbread" or "pie rings." These large, disc-like wheels are a significant departure from the intricate multi-spoke designs common on luxury cars.

The front of the car features a rounded, upright grille and a distinctive lighting signature with two primary LED bars complemented by a sprinkle of smaller lights, creating a "Milky Way" effect that extends to the taillights and even the unique door handles.

Inside, the focus is squarely on opulent comfort for a select few. Despite its size, the Maextro S800 is configured to seat only four, providing a first-class experience for every passenger. The cabin boasts a "starry sky" roof liner, reminiscent of ultra-luxury British marques, and a modern dash dominated by a three-screen layout.

A thick B-pillar hints at the robust structural integrity and safety built into the vehicle's core. While the brand name "Maextro" is displayed in Latin letters on the car's flanks and rear, the front logo remains flush and subtle on the hood.

Underneath the stately bodywork, the Maextro S800 offers two versatile powertrain options. Buyers can choose between a fully electric (BEV) model and an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). The BEV version is no slouch, equipped with three electric motors that produce a combined 852 horsepower.

For buyers with lingering range anxiety, the EREV model presents a good solution. It pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, which acts solely as a generator, with three electric motors to unleash 1,006 horsepower. This setup provides a pure electric range of up to 231 miles on the CLTC cycle, with the flexibility of gasoline for longer trips without charging stops.

The EREV's 65 kWh battery, built on an 800V architecture, can charge from 10% to 80% in a remarkable 10.5 minutes. The fully electric model is nearly as quick, achieving the same charge level in just 12 minutes.

Huawei is leveraging its deep expertise in technology to equip the S800 with advanced autonomous features. The company demonstrated how the car can find a charging station, park itself, and initiate charging via a robotic arm, all without human intervention. Of course, there aren't many of those stations about yet, but it's a neat trick anyway.

Perhaps more impressively, the S800 features a "crab walk" capability. Thanks to a four-wheel steering system that allows the rear wheels to turn up to 16 degrees, the massive sedan can move sideways, simplifying tight parking maneuvers. This is quite a step up from systems in the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Rolls-Royce Spectre, which offer far less rear-wheel articulation.

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