Xiaomi is branching out into Europe soon
Words NZ Autocar | Images CarNewsChina
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is planning to export its electric cars to Europe, kicking off in 2027.
Xiaomi is best known for its smartphones but it launched the SU7 saloon as its first EV in 2023. Now it is aiming to become one of the world’s five biggest car makers.
Its second EV, the YU7 SUV, has gone on sale in China, making Xiaomi Auto is one of the fastest-growing car brands there. It delivered 80,000 vehicles in the most recent quarter. Now it is set to expand overseas. President William Lu did not give specifics on model make-up or timing however.
Meantime, Xiaomi is having trouble meeting demand at home. Wait times for the the saloon are currently at 41 weeks. Orders placed for the YU7 will take over a year to fill. That’s because Xiaomi apparently took almost quarter of a million orders for its SUV within 18 hours of its unveiling in June. Lu suggested that for those who can’t wait that long, buy a rival. He even suggested Tesla’s Model Y as a great alternative.
Xiaomi’s EV business pulled in over $NZ4.6b in the most recent financial quarter. And it expects to achieve profitability later this year.
Xiaomi’s EVs are likely to sell in the premium end of the market in Europe, because of their performance focus and high levels of technology on board.
The SU7 saloon, a Taycan and Model S rival, has almost 500kW in base form and has a claimed range of 800km. Ditto the SUV, though the range claims are using the Chinese cycle.
Both vehicles come with rear- or twin-motor powertrains and various battery sizes. However, export models are likely to be trimmed on choice.
Whether or not the SU7 Ultra super-saloon makes it as an export model is unclear. But there’s plenty of hype for it, after the 1140kW monster broke the EV production lap record at the Nürburgring…twice.
Xiaomi’s next vehicle will be, you guessed it, another SUV, this one called the YU9. It will be more luxurious still and equipped with a range-extender powertrain, so will probably end up being for the domestic market only.
