This Xiaomi car is selling like hotcakes! And no wonder, it offers amazing features at an unprecedented price

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi officially launched the sale of its first electric SUV, designated YU7, a few days ago and immediately encountered an unexpected problem – enormous customer interest. Within just three minutes of pre-orders opening, the company recorded over 200,000 reservations, 120,000 of which were backed by non-refundable deposits. After 18 hours, the number of binding orders climbed to a staggering 240,000 units.

Who waits, will get it. In a year

Massive interest in the new electric car has caused delivery times to extend to levels we know more from the pandemic era. According to official information from the Xiaomi website, those interested in the base YU7 model must expect a waiting time of 56-59 weeks. For the mid-range YU7 Pro variant, it’s slightly better – 50-53 weeks. The fastest way for new owners to get the top YU7 Max version is in 37-40 weeks.

While the base YU7 model priced at 253,800 yuan (approximately 746,000 CZK) attracts the most interest, the more expensive Pro (279,900 yuan / 823,000 CZK) and Max (329,900 yuan / 970,000 CZK) variants paradoxically have shorter waiting times. This suggests that a significant portion of customers prefer the more affordable version.

Brick-and-mortar stores and their success

Interesting data was provided by Chinese automotive analyst with the nickname @孙少军09, who has over 1.24 million followers on the social network Weibo. According to his analysis, 351 Xiaomi brick-and-mortar stores recorded between 280,800 and 315,900 binding orders during the first 72 hours after the YU7 launch. On average, each store thus received 800 to 900 orders, with the conversion rate of visitors to actual customers reaching an impressive 75-80%.

Xiaomi used the same strategy for selling electric cars as for its smartphones – an extensive network of brick-and-mortar stores where customers can not only view the product but also get detailed information. Employees are trained not only in technical specifications but also in how to explain the role of YU7 within the entire Xiaomi „Human-Car-Home” ecosystem.

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According to the analyst’s findings, the typical customer is a young urban resident – 55% of buyers are men aged 22 to 35. Approximately 60-70% of customers are switching from an existing vehicle, while 5-7% reportedly changed their original reservation for the Xiaomi SU7 sedan in favor of the new SUV model.

Regarding the popularity of individual variants, 55% of customers chose the base YU7 model, 25% prefer the mid-range Pro variant, and the remaining 20% opted for the top Max version. Interestingly, customers on average spend an additional 15,000 to 20,000 yuan (approximately 44,000 to 58,000 CZK) on optional equipment and accessories.

Production can’t keep up, Xiaomi increases capacity

To handle the enormous demand, Xiaomi must significantly increase production capacity. The company declares that in 2025, it plans to produce up to 350,000 electric cars, which is far from enough to cover current interest. Production takes place in two plants designated as F1 and F2, but their current capacity is insufficient.

To facilitate financing of its electric cars, Xiaomi offers flexible installment plans ranging from 12 to 60 months, with down payments ranging from 15% to 85% of the total car price. This flexibility in payment terms likely also contributed to the enormous customer interest.

Although Xiaomi initially focused primarily on the Chinese market, there is talk in the corridors that electric cars of this brand could appear in Europe next year. However, given the current trade tensions between the EU and China and the introduction of tariffs on Chinese electric cars, this will not be a simple process.

An electric car that impressed with its parameters

It’s no wonder that YU7 generated such interest. It is a medium to large SUV with a length of 4,999 mm and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm, offering a range of up to 835 kilometers (according to the Chinese CLTC methodology). The top YU7 Max AWD version boasts a combined power output of 508 kW (approximately 680 horsepower) and 866 Nm of torque, which is enough to accelerate from zero to one hundred in just 3.23 seconds.

This Xiaomi car is selling like hotcakes! And no wonder, it offers amazing features at an unprecedented price Jakub Kárník Zprávičky Jakub Kárník Zprávičky

Xiaomi bet on an 800V high-voltage platform, which allows for extremely fast charging – in just 15 minutes, it can „refuel” energy for 620 kilometers of driving. The interior then offers three interconnected Mini LED displays with a total width of 1.1 meters, forming a continuous surface across the entire width of the cockpit.

Would you buy an electric car from Xiaomi?

Source: XiaomiEV (1, 2), Notebookcheck