At the Auto China 2026 motor show in Beijing, Xiaomi’s booth was among the most crowded, with visitors packing the space to catch a glimpse of the company’s founder and chief executive, Lei Jun, a figure whose status in China is close to celebrity.

Earlier in April, Xiaomi had already drawn widespread attention with a high-profile endurance test led by Lei Jun, who personally drove a Xiaomi SU7 Pro from Beijing to Shanghai – a journey of around 1,300 kilometres – with just a single charging stop.

The trip was livestreamed on social media, attracting a large online audience and turning the drive into a public demonstration of the vehicle’s real-world range and performance.

At Auto China, Lei Jun unveiled the Vision Gran Turismo concept for the first time domestically, following its global premiere at the Mobile World Congress 2026. He also shared updates on the performance of the new-generation SU7 and outlined plans for the upcoming YU7 GT.

From production to ecosystem

Xiaomi’s momentum in the electric vehicle sector has been rapid. The company entered the market only in 2024 with the launch of the SU7. Since then, it has expanded its lineup, including the YU7, which recorded 200,000 pre-orders within minutes of its release.

The company is now preparing to launch the YU7 GT, its first model developed in collaboration with European engineers. The vehicle is expected to debut in China in late May, combining performance, comfort and driving dynamics.

Performance has become a key part of Xiaomi’s positioning. The SU7 Ultra, for example, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in under two seconds and reaches a top speed of 350 km/h, placing it firmly in the high-performance EV category.

Inside Xiaomi’s EV factory in Beijing, production moves at a pace that mirrors these ambitions: a new vehicle rolls off the assembly line roughly every 76 seconds.

The site integrates manufacturing, research, testing and customer experience under one roof, reflecting Xiaomi’s push for vertical integration.

With more than 700 robots involved in key processes and automation rates exceeding 90% in some workshops, the factory relies heavily on AI-driven inspection systems designed to detect defects with near-perfect accuracy. A dedicated on-site testing track ensures that every vehicle is verified under real driving conditions before delivery.

Beyond performance, Xiaomi is also betting on integration. Its broader “Human x Car x Home” strategy aims to connect vehicles with personal devices and smart home systems through its HyperOS operating system. In practice, this allows drivers to manage daily routines — from making reservations to controlling home environments — while the system adapts to user behaviour, adjusting lighting or music based on stress levels or preferences.

This ecosystem approach reflects a wider trend among Chinese automakers, which are increasingly combining hardware with software and AI-driven features.

“Xiaomi is a classic example of where the product is going to go next. Smart home, smart devices are a large part of our home life.

The car becomes another product within our home life, our work life, our leisure life. That’s the model that is going to develop, and I think everybody needs to follow,” said James Pearson, founder and CEO of Lionheart, an automotive branding and advertising agency.

Expansion into global markets

With its domestic lineup expanding rapidly, Xiaomi is now turning its attention to international markets.

The company has announced plans to begin its global expansion in 2027, with Germany expected to be its first overseas market. In preparation, Xiaomi opened an EV R&D and Design Center in Munich in 2025, one of Europe’s leading hubs for automotive engineering.

Led by former BMW executive Rudolf Dittrich, the centre focuses on adapting Xiaomi’s vehicles to European standards — from regulations and infrastructure to customer preferences.

“Xiaomi is approaching that very methodologically, looking at data. We’re trying to get customer insights as much as we can,” Dittrich said at Auto China 2026.

Early signals suggest growing interest. During test drives conducted last year, the vehicles attracted attention even at charging stations, with passers-by stopping to take a closer look.

Xiaomi’s entry into Europe comes as growth in the electric vehicle market begins to moderate. According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), battery-electric vehicles accounted for 17.4% of new car registrations in 2025, up from 13.6% a year earlier, while hybrid models — at 34.5% — remain the preferred choice among European consumers.

At the same time, competition is intensifying, with established players like Volkswagen and Tesla facing increasing pressure from Chinese manufacturers, including BYD and XPeng.

The European Union has also moved to impose additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles after an anti-subsidy investigation, adding another layer of challenge for new entrants.

In 2025, the Xiaomi SU7 Series ranked No. 1 in sales among sedans in its price segment. Models are priced from around €27,000 for the standard version to approximately €38,000 for the SU7 Max.

The result underscores the company’s growing momentum as it targets total EV deliveries of 550,000 vehicles across its lineup this year, up from more than 400,000 previously.

Looking ahead, Xiaomi has signalled plans to broaden its vehicle lineup further, although specific details have yet to be announced.

“Our strategic goal is to become a top-five global automaker,” Dittrich said. “And I think it is clear that with the current product portfolio, it is not possible.”