appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Yujie Xue

Chinese smartphone and car maker Xiaomi has moved up the launch of its latest electric vehicle (EV) model amid strong consumer interest in the SUV, which is seen as a potential challenger to the dominance of Tesla’s Model Y.
Sales of the YU7, the Beijing-based company’s second production model, would start at the end of this month instead of in July as previously planned, founder and CEO Lei Jun said in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday.
“We are making the preparations, and [will] see you at the end of June,” he said.
The accelerated launch follows Xiaomi’s efforts to ramp up capacity amid the fanfare surrounding the car. Deliveries of the premium SUV were expected to begin in July. Xiaomi would not comment on pricing or delivery dates.
On May 27, Xiaomi president Lu Weibing said that the number of inquiries about the YU7’s presale greatly exceeded those for the company’s first model, the SU7, ahead of its debut in March 2024. The SU7 sedan, which competes with Tesla’s Model 3, was an immediate hit, securing more than 70,000 orders in the month after its official launch.
On June 1, Lu said on his Weibo account that Xiaomi was revving up mass production of the YU7.

Tesla’s top-selling Model Y starts at 263,500 yuan (US$36,677) in mainland China. Xiaomi said earlier that the YU7’s enhanced features could make it 60,000 to 70,000 yuan pricier.
The launch will be Xiaomi’s first after a fatal accident involving its driving-assistance system earlier this year led to a backlash against autonomous-driving features and the promotion of such technologies.
In March, an SU7 crashed in central China’s Anhui province, killing three people. The car was travelling at 116km/h with the driver-assistance system active, which alerted the driver to take control two seconds before hitting a concrete barrier, according to Xiaomi.
Following the accident, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology summoned officials from 60 companies, urging full compliance with regulations on self-driving technologies and cautioning against overstating the capabilities of such systems.
Despite the tragedy, Xiaomi landed among the top 10 EV makers in May with 28,000 deliveries, around the same level as April and more than double its delivery figures a year earlier.


Sales of EVs by Chinese carmakers – including battery-only cars and electric-petrol hybrids – increased nearly 30 per cent year on year in May to more than 1.02 million, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. Government policies to boost domestic consumption, rising exports amid geopolitical tensions and strong sales from leading players including BYD and Geely fuelled the increase.
Xiaomi’s EV business generated 18.1 billion yuan in revenue in the first quarter, when it delivered 75,869 SU7s, according to the company’s first quarter results. However, it reported an adjusted net loss of 500 million yuan related to the EV business and other new initiatives.
Xiaomi’s Hong Kong-listed shares have rebounded since April by almost 50 per cent after dropping in the aftermath of the accident. The stock rose 4.2 per cent to HK$54.15 on Monday.


Tesla auditing Chinese suppliers ahead of Optimus roll-out: sources

US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028

Tesla revives China discounts; Iran war drives shift to electric cars: 7 EV reads

China’s five-year plan for the new-energy vehicle sector

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EVs: Xiaomi accelerates launch of Tesla Model Y rival YU7, citing strong demand

Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun introduces the smartphone maker’s electric SUV, the YU7, at a launch event in Beijing on May 22, 2025. Photo: Reuters

A Tesla Model Y is seen at the Vivatech fair in Paris on June 11, 2025. Photo: AP 

Chinese EV maker Xpeng, peers look to win over Hongkongers to power global push

Visitors walk among Chinese electric cars at the 2025 Hong Kong Automotive Expo at Asia-World Expo on June 12, 2025. Photo: Daniel Ren

Chery Automobile displays its SUV models at the 2025 Hong Kong Automotive Expo at Asia-World Expo on June 12, 2025. Photo: Cao Li

Visitors look at Xpeng vehicles at the 2025 International Automotive and Supply Chain Expo at AsiaWorld-Expo on June 12, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee

How BYD and Chinese peers are transforming Europe’s small EV market

BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded on a ship are stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in September 2024. Photo: AFP

Chinese EV maker Leapmotor jumps into Hong Kong as ‘showcase’ for global push

Guests view Leapmotor’s C10 electric vehicle at the opening of the company’s first showroom in Hong Kong on June 11, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Leapmotor CEO Zhu Jiangming attends the opening of a company the company’s Hong Kong showroom on June 11, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Why competition is heating up in China’s sub-US$20,000 EV segment

The BYD Seal 06 can self-park and has voice-activated recognition capability, enhancing its competitiveness in the sub-US$20,000 segment. Photo: AP

Xpeng chairman and CEO Xiaopeng He and brand ambassador Ouyang Nana pose for photos with the Mona M03 Max EV at an event in Beijing on May 28. Photo: AP

Xiaomi’s EV unit to become profitable this year, CEO Lei Jun says

Founder and CEO Lei Jun speaks at an event in Beijing on May 22. Photo: Reuters

Business

China EVs

China Business

Climate and energy

News

China

China Future Tech

Sales will start at the end of this month instead of in July, founder and CEO Lei Jun says


Sales will start at the end of this month instead of in July, founder and CEO Lei Jun says.


Chinese EVs: Xiaomi accelerates launch of Tesla Model Y rival YU7, citing strong demand

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Sales will start at the end of this month instead of in July, founder and CEO Lei Jun says

Sales will start at the end of this month instead of in July, founder and CEO Lei Jun says