Xiaomi Reaches EV Milestone as CEO Lei Jun Embraces Factory Floor Lifestyle

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun recently celebrated a significant milestone in electric vehicle production, showcasing his dedication to hard work. On Tuesday, Lei announced that Xiaomi’s SU7 EV production had hit 100,000 units, sharing the news in a post on X. He included a photo of himself sleeping on a white mattress on the factory floor.

Lei noted that it took only 230 days from the car’s launch to reach this milestone, a speed he considered impressive for a newcomer in the electric vehicle industry. The SU7, which stands for Speed Ultra 7, is Xiaomi’s first foray into the EV market. The Chinese technology company, widely recognized for its smartphones, offers four variations of the vehicle: SU7, SU7 Pro, SU7 Max, and SU7 Ultra. The EV was launched in March and has drawn praise from industry figures, including Ford CEO Jim Farley. In an October interview on “The Fully Charged Podcast,” Farley revealed he had been driving a Xiaomi SU7 for six months and was reluctant to give it up, highlighting the car’s popularity, with 10,000 to 20,000 units sold monthly and a six-month waiting list.

Despite its success, Xiaomi’s EV division has faced financial challenges. In its second-quarter earnings report released in August, the company reported an adjusted loss of $252 million. During this period, Xiaomi delivered 27,307 SU7s, equating to a loss of about $9,200 per vehicle. The SU7, which starts at around $30,000, is currently only available in China.

A Xiaomi representative explained in August that the company aims to reduce production costs by scaling up its EV operations. The spokesperson also noted that Xiaomi’s initial investment in its pure electric sedan was substantial, and it would take time to absorb these costs.

Lei’s decision to sleep at the factory has drawn comparisons to Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, who has been known for doing the same to motivate his employees. Musk, who mentioned in a 2018 Bloomberg interview that he had lived on Tesla’s Fremont and Nevada factory floors for three consecutive years, said he wanted his conditions to be more challenging than those of his team, feeling their hardships more intensely.

Although it’s uncertain whether Lei’s post was a nod to Musk’s practices, Musk has not commented on the matter. Lei, often referred to as “The Steve Jobs of China,” shares some stylistic similarities with the late Apple founder, frequently appearing in black shirts, light blue jeans, and sneakers during product launches. In 2014, Lei even borrowed Jobs’ iconic “one more thing” catchphrase to unveil a new smartphone at the end of a presentation.

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