Xiaomi is stepping up preparations for a European retail launch of its electric vehicle (EV) division after appointing a senior regional retail manager and holding partner events alongside the Beijing Motor Show.
Marvin Martin, who was appointed Xiaomi EV’s senior regional retail manager in March, said the business had met with potential European retail partners during a series of track and workshop events designed to showcase Xiaomi EV’s product and retail ambitions.
Martin joined Xiaomi from Tesla, where he was a store manager for in Germany.
The very fact Xiaomi EV is meeting with potential retail partners suggests it’ll partner with franchise dealers, quite than launching direct sales like Tesla.
In a LinkedIn post, Martin (pictured left) said: “During a workshop with our leadership team and our potential partners, we discussed openly about our vision for Europe and how much partnerships we’re searching for.
“We also answered their inquiries to clarify that we’re searching for long-lasting relationships.”
The corporate hosted a track event where attendees experienced the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra on a closed circuit through drift demonstrations, slalom runs and performance laps.
Alongside the driving activities, Xiaomi also introduced partners to its wider connected technology ecosystem, including integration between smartphones, smart home systems and vehicles.
The corporate is predicted to start European EV sales by 2027 following the launch of its Xiaomi YU7 luxury SUV and growing international expansion plans.
Germany is more likely to be a launch market, with right-hand drive vehicles arriving within the UK by 2028.
Xiaomi, currently certainly one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, entered the EV market in 2024 with the launch of the Xiaomi SU7.
The business has rapidly expanded its retail footprint in China, opening 335 smart EV sales centres across 92 cities by the top of June this yr.
The YU7 secured 240,000 orders inside 18 hours of launch in China, with the model positioned against rivals including the Porsche Macan, Tesla and BYD.
European specifications haven’t yet been confirmed, although Xiaomi has said the YU7 is able to travelling as much as 835km on a single charge and accelerating from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds.
Former BMW Group technical director leading European R&D
The corporate can also be constructing its European engineering capability ahead of launch.
Former BMW Group general manager small volume series and technical director Rudi Dittrich is now leading Xiaomi EV’s European research and development centre.
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
