Xiaomi plans to sell electric cars outside China from 2027
At the Mobile World Congress in the Catalan metropolis, the Chinese company not only presented a new smartphone, but also the SU7 Ultra electric car. The MWC is actually a trade fair for consumer tech and gadgets. However, car manufacturers have repeatedly used the stage in Barcelona in the past to present new connectivity functions or even electric cars.
In the case of Xiaomi, there were already rumours in December 2024 that the company was planning to expand its EV division. According to media reports at the time, the company started to set up the relevant teams to test the expansion on a small scale before targeting larger markets in the second wave of expansion.
Although Xiaomi’s self-confidence would be justified in view of the demand in China – the manufacturer sold one year’s worth of production of the SU7 Ultra in two hours – the statements made by William Lu from Barcelona indicate that the company intends to take a rather cautious approach. The manager hinted that he would start “exploring” European car markets in March. In addition to the SU7 Ultra, Xiaomi also offers the normal SU7 and is about to launch the YU7 electric SUV.
“Our main plan is to create a strong position in the Chinese market, as without it, it would be hard to expand overseas,” Lu said in the interview. The domestic market is thus still a priority for the company.
In the interview, Lu also gave a possible explanation for the cautious expansion approach. Xiaomi announced its intention to enter the EV market in 2021. However, it did not spark euphoria among everyone and investors were initially very sceptical. “After each earnings conference, we communicated with investors, and everyone tended to think that Xiaomi was late and missed the best opportunity. And that the car business can drag down the mobile phone business if unsuccessful,” Lu said. This only changed with the market launch and success of the SU7 in March 2024.
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