In just 15 years Xiaomi he took a path that no one would have expected. Born as a small Chinese startup with big ambitions, the Brand founded by Lei Jun has managed to surpass all competitors in the sector, expanding its market to mass-produced cars. A progress that says a lot about Xiaomi’s vision, but which also emerges as a signal of an industry that is changing globally, increasingly oriented towards merging the experience of devices.
The birth of the startup
Born in 2010 as operating system based on Android, it debuted in the hardware world a year later with the Mi 1. A smartphone that brings medium-high level technical specifications to the market, accompanied by a price that sweeps away Western competition. The idea of Lei Jun and his seven initial partners also merges into direct sales, eliminating many intermediaries, with the benefit of the producer and the final consumer.
From then on, the expansion was very rapid. Smartphones, wearables, smart TVs, household appliances, connected home products: Xiaomi builds a ecosystem increasingly broad, based on an aggressive quality-price ratio and strong software integration.
The arrival in the automotive sector
This continuous expansion will debut in 2021, the year in which Xiaomi communicates its intention to enter the automotive sector, focusing on electric mobility. A move that was initially greeted with skepticism, but which in a few months proved surprisingly concrete. Born in Beijing on September 1, 2021 Xiaomi Automobile division. The company immediately pushes the accelerator with a massive hiring campaign that includes engineers, managers, designers and planners coming from the competition of the large manufacturers, but not only.
At the same time Xiaomi lays the first bricks of production planta project capable of assembling over 300,000 cars per year. Now there is no more room for doubts.
Man, Home, Car: the Xiaomi vision
The basis of Xiaomi’s vision lies in the concept of “Man, House, Car“. A triad in which the human being is embraced by an intelligent ecosystem capable of learning from needs and communicating at 360 degrees, making software the central element. The experience accumulated over years of development of interfaces, operating systems and connected services translates into cars designed as “devices on wheels”, capable of integrating with smartphones, smart homes and cloud services. This is where Xiaomi exploits its true competitive advantage over traditional manufacturers.
The current proposal
On December 28, 2023, Xiaomi officially presents its first car: the SU7an electric sedan that marks the brand’s definitive entry into the automotive sector. Just three months later, the model can already be ordered and the first deliveries are taking place very quickly. The success is immediate. In the first twelve months of production, the SU7 exceeded 155,000 units sold in China, numbers that many historic brands struggle to reach with consolidated models. A result that pushes Xiaomi to accelerate further.
The sedan is joined by the YU7, an electric SUV with a strong and technological style, which takes up the platform and software solutions of the SU7. Two models that clearly define the brand’s identity: modern design, strong technological content and competitive prices for the domestic market.
Four models in 2026
Looking at 2026 which has just begun, Xiaomi’s plans are ambitious and will materialize with the arrival of four new models. In the first half we expect a seven-seater SUV accompanied by the restyling of the SU7, while towards the end of the year a new medium-sized SUV and an executive version of the sedan. These cars should arrive with electric propulsion accompanied by a generator, a solution currently among the favorites in China.
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