Beijing(National Times): Xiaomi kicked off sales of its electric car on Thursday, with the Chinese smartphone company pricing its SU7 at 215,900 to 299,900 yuan ($29,870-$41,493) as it enters a fiercely competitive domestic market.

CEO Lei Jun told the launch event that the shift from electronics to car manufacturing had not been easy, noting that U.S. rival Apple had given up on such an idea.

“In the three years of developing this car, my biggest realization is that making cars is extremely difficult. Even a giant like Apple gave up on it,” Lei said to a packed audience at the event.

“So today, every person who is still persevering in making cars is a hero of our time,” said Lei.

The company’s standard SU7 EV model will be priced at 215,900 yuan, while the Pro and Max versions will cost 245,900 yuan and 299,900 yuan respectively, Lei said. Deliveries for the Standard and Max models will commence in late April, and the Pro models will follow by the end of May.

All SU7 models will only be sold for now in China, the world’s biggest auto market.