After Lei Jun announced Xiaomi’s venture into car manufacturing three years ago, Xiaomi’s car is now ready to make its official debut.
On March 12th, Xiaomi’s founder and chairman, Lei Jun, announced on Weibo that the Xiaomi SU7 would be officially launched on March 28th, marking “our three-year commitment.”
Three years ago, on March 30, 2021, Xiaomi officially approved the project for intelligent electric vehicles. During the launch event, Lei Jun declared “War for Xiaomi Cars” and stated that this would be his final entrepreneurial endeavor in life.
Lei Jun expressed on Weibo that the journey of Xiaomi cars from 0 to 1 is vastly different from that of Xiaomi smartphones 14 years ago, owing to the growth stages and user expectations faced by Xiaomi.
“Xiaomi cars need to bring something unique, with the most crucial aspect being smart technology. I also believe this is what everyone genuinely expects from Xiaomi and new energy vehicles,” Lei Jun stated.
Furthermore, Lei Jun continued his traditional product promotion on Weibo, asserting, “If you want a car with cutting-edge smart technology and excellent driving experience, I believe #XiaomiSU7# will be your top choice!”
During a car technology event at the end of last year, Lei Jun emphasized multiple times that the initial model would be somewhat costly, refuting rumors of lower prices such as 99,000 or 149,000 RMB.
Nevertheless, the competition in the new energy vehicle sector is fierce.
According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, in February this year, the production of new energy passenger vehicles reached 426,000 units, a decrease of 17.7% year-on-year and 42.3% month-on-month. In terms of sales, 388,000 new energy vehicles were retailed in February, down by 11.6% year-on-year and 42.1% month-on-month. There were 79,000 new energy vehicle exports in February, a 0.1% year-on-year increase, but down by 20.0% from the previous month.
Since the beginning of March, price wars in the automotive market have been intensifying. Public reports revealed that on March 1st alone, nine auto companies announced price reductions for promotional purposes.
Lei Jun expressed confidence in Xiaomi cars on Weibo despite the competitive industry landscape. “Many friends have been asking recently, with the intense competition in the industry, does Xiaomi have the confidence to penetrate the market? Certainly, we have confidence because we are Xiaomi Cars, and we are fully prepared.”
During the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference sessions, He Xiaopeng, the founder of Xpeng Motors, mentioned Lei Jun and Xiaomi cars, stating that Lei Jun couldn’t possibly be without pressure. “Xiaomi has its own advantages. If Lei uses Xiaomi’s strengths well, there are great opportunities.”
In February this year, foreign media reported Apple’s withdrawal from car manufacturing. At that time, Lei Jun expressed his shock on Weibo, saying, “Seeing this news was truly astonishing! Xiaomi’s strategy is the ‘whole ecosystem of people, cars, and homes.’ We are fully aware of the challenges of manufacturing cars, but three years ago, we made an unwavering strategic choice to sincerely create a good car for Mi Fans!”