Xiaomi is preparing to export its electric cars outside China
Xiaomi is already enjoying remarkable success in the Chinese automobile market with its SU7 electric sedan, which has sold more than 100,000 units. in less than a year of production. Xiaomi's ambitions in the automobile sector, however, go well beyond Chinese borders, since the tech giant had indicated that it hoped one day to see its electric cars in all major cities in the world.
This project now seems to be confirmed, since the Chinese newspaper 36Kr reports the creation of a team dedicated to the sale of Xiaomi Auto cars abroad. The group has reportedly launched recruitment for market research, project management and after-sales engineering positions for electric vehicles.
However, no market is cited. We simply know that Xiaomi hopes to market its electric cars in Europe by 2030, as Lei Jun, founder and CEO of the company, announced at the time of the exhibition of two SU7s in Paris, then used to promote everything the brand ecosystem.
Xiaomi electric cars sold in Europe, but at what price?
Compared to other Chinese manufacturers, Xiaomi has the advantage of having a much greater reputation abroad. However, its image is mainly linked to the sale of smartphones at affordable prices. Precisely, if the prices of the SU7 sedan are very competitive in China, they could be much less so once marketed here. This is certainly also the case for smartphones and other electronic objects, but electric cars produced in China must now face countervailing customs duties when entering the EU.
The SU7 is sold from ¥215,900 (around €28,250) in China, slightly cheaper than a Tesla Model 3 in this market, where it is also produced. The latter, shorter than the Xiaomi SU7, currently costs from €39,990 in France. Remember that the SU7 sedan and the SUV YU7 are 5 m long and that, even with a good equipment/price ratio, they cannot be considered truly affordable vehicles here. To succeed in Europe, Xiaomi will need to develop a wider range, with more compact vehicles.
