Just a few years ago, Xiaomi was the company making the smartphones your friend swore were “just as good as an iPhone, but way cheaper.” Fast forward to September 2025, and that same company is breaking records in a completely different world: electric cars.
Last month, Xiaomi delivered more than 40,000 electric vehicles, its biggest number yet — and that’s saying something for a brand that only started shipping cars earlier this year. The figures, reported by notebookcheck.net and industry trackers, mark roughly a 10 percent jump from August, when 36,396 vehicles rolled off delivery lots. For a newcomer in one of the world’s toughest auto markets, that’s a serious growth spurt.
Xiaomi built its empire on gadgets — phones, scooters, smartwatches, even rice cookers. But as China’s EV boom gathered speed, the company decided to take a swing at something far more ambitious: building its own cars.
And it’s paying off. The company’s first models, the SU7 sedan and the YU7 SUV, have quickly become some of the most coveted EVs in China’s tech-savvy circles. The SU7 goes head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal, while the YU7 is meant for drivers who want a little more room and luxury.
So far, demand has been nothing short of wild. If you order one now, you’ll be waiting — about 38 weeks for the SU7, or up to 48 weeks for the YU7. That’s nearly a full year before the keys land in your hand.
It’s a nice problem for Xiaomi to have, but also a reminder that even for tech giants, scaling up car production is a whole different challenge.
Xiaomi isn’t stopping at impressive delivery numbers. Word is, the company has a GT performance version of the YU7 currently testing at Germany’s famed Nürburgring track. And behind the scenes, Xiaomi’s been quietly poaching talent from BMW and Ferrari — moves that hint at some seriously ambitious goals.
There’s whisper of a global expansion too, though for now, Xiaomi’s electric fleet remains a China-only affair. Still, with the buzz growing louder, it wouldn’t be surprising if the SU7 or YU7 started turning up in European or Southeast Asian showrooms sooner rather than later.
In the space of just a few years, Xiaomi has gone from selling pocket-sized tech to parking-lot dreams. Its transformation from gadget maker to automotive contender might be one of the most remarkable reinventions in the tech world today.
If the momentum keeps up, Xiaomi could soon be rubbing shoulders not just with other Chinese carmakers like BYD and NIO, but even with Tesla itself.
So here’s the big question: If Xiaomi brought its electric cars overseas — say, to Europe — would you buy one?