Xiaomi has broken its own record!! Just three minutes were enough to sell 200,000 units of its new electric SUV, the YU7. One hour later, sales had already reached 289,000 units. Xiaomi has caused a real frenzy with this vehicle, proving not only that it’s making strong moves in the market, but that its ambition to take the crown from the Tesla Model Y in China is real. And that’s despite already surpassing it with its SU7 sedan, now they’re going for more!
A massive demand, a significantly superior technological proposal, and the support of the people, Xiaomi is no longer just a phone brand. It’s becoming even bigger in the vehicle market, pushing its way into the podium of the world’s most powerful electric vehicles. And it’s making it happen!
The Xiaomi YU7 phenomenon
Unveiling a car, opening pre-orders that same night, and selling out hundreds of thousands within minutes sounds like a joke, but it’s a real story, and it’s exactly what Xiaomi has achieved with the YU7. An electric SUV that promises to be more than an alternative: a direct threat to Tesla’s dominance in the Asian giant.
200,000 orders in three minutes
The number is staggering for anyone. Just three minutes after pre-orders opened, Xiaomi already had 200,000 units secured. In just one hour, the figure climbed to 289,000 reservations. Yes, these are refundable, but they reflect the level of excitement Chinese consumers feel for this new release.
Beating the SU7… by far
The success is more impressive when we compare it to the Xiaomi SU7, because that model reached 88,898 orders in 24 hours!! And we thought it was a phenomenon…! The YU7 has more than doubled those figures, and in just a fraction of the time. Are the Chinese people crazy about this car?
The goal: dethrone the Tesla Model Y
The battle is on. Xiaomi is clearly targeting China’s best-selling electric SUV: the Tesla Model Y, which ended 2024 with 480,000 units delivered in China alone.
A car made to compete
The YU7 arrives with a clear roadmap. It’s not a side project or an experiment, it’s a direct rival to the Model Y. It comes with improvements in technology, range, charging speed, and at a highly competitive price.
China, a favourable ground for Xiaomi
The trade tension with the U.S. and the increasing support for domestic brands have created ideal conditions for Xiaomi’s rise. In a market where consumers increasingly prefer Chinese products, the YU7 appears as the perfect alternative: local, advanced, and affordable.
And what if Xiaomi had already done it before?
The case of the SU7 proves it: in December 2024, Xiaomi surpassed the Tesla Model 3 with 25,815 units sold, compared to 21,046 of Musk’s sedan. With that one move, it became the fourth best-selling electric car in the country. It closed the year with 135,000 units sold, nearly double its rival.
With just one model on the market, Xiaomi had already entered the top 20 best-selling carmakers in China, ahead of giants like ZEEKR and Lynk&CO. Now, with the YU7, the goal is to climb from 24th place to Tesla’s 7th position, held in May this year. And with these numbers, it doesn’t sound crazy.
Tesla responds… but is it enough?
In March 2025, the Model Y was the best-selling electric car in China, with 43,370 units. But in that same month, the SU7 (which doesn’t even compete in the same segment) sold over 27,000 units.
Now that Xiaomi has an electric SUV in the same category, with better specs and more appeal for Chinese consumers, Tesla’s position could be seriously threatened.
Is the “sorpasso” coming?
All signs point to yes. While Tesla faces increasingly national competition and a market that values price and local innovation, Xiaomi keeps growing. Its advantage is no longer just the name, it’s in the numbers, and the speed at which it gets them.
200,000 orders in just three minutes. Xiaomi is already playing in the big leagues.