Xiaomi's electric car factory hits overdrive, SU7 wait times tumble
The tech giant Xiaomi is learning how to build electric cars, and it's learning fast. In a market where new EV companies often struggle with "production hell," Xiaomi is showing signs that it's cracking the code. The company has dramatically cut the delivery wait times for two of its popular SU7 electric sedans, suggesting that its factories are hitting a serious new stride.
Customers in China ordering the mid-range SU7 Pro and the top-tier SU7 Max now look at a wait of only 6-9 weeks. This is a big improvement from the previous estimate, which stretched to roughly 30 weeks. This change means customers who order soon can likely get their new electric cars before the end of 2025. That timing is important, as it qualifies them for better purchase tax incentives compared to waiting until 2026.
But not all models get the same treatment. Buyers of the entry-level SU7 Standard edition are still looking at a long 29-32 week delivery window. The performance-focused SU7 Ultra, a separate high-power model, has held steady at a 6-9 week wait since September, but there are apparently some units available from stock.
This sudden speed-up is almost certainly due to factory output, not a drop in orders. Reports from earlier in 2025 showed Xiaomi's car factory was running at nearly 200% capacity. The Beijing Phase I factory, designed for 150,000 electric cars per year, was already pushing out far more by using a double-shift operation. The company is proving it can build EVs at scale, a major problem for any new automaker.
And Xiaomi is just getting started. The company has massive expansion plans. New factories, including Beijing Phase II and Phase III, are in the works. A new factory in Wuhan is also planned to start production in May 2026. The goal is ambitious: Xiaomi wants to build and sell over 1 million electric cars a year by 2026, with a target of 1.2 million. If it succeeds, it would become one of the world's major EV makers in record time.
For now, the company's sales are strong, but the mix is interesting. Xiaomi delivered a record 48,654 vehicles in October. The real star of the show was not the SU7 sedan, but the YU7 SUV, which accounted for 33,662 of those sales, or nearly 70% of the total. This huge demand explains why the YU7 still has a long wait time of 32-38 weeks. The SU7 sedan series, by comparison, delivered 14,992 units in October.
The auto industry never sleeps, and rumors are already swirling. Chatter on social media claims the SU7 sedan is already due for a facelift. This update could bring 12 new configuration upgrades, but also a price increase of RMB 9,900 (about £1,010). Xiaomi has not commented on the rumor. The current prices for the SU7 lineup stand at RMB 215,900 for the Standard, RMB 245,900 for the Pro, and RMB 299,900 for the Max.
Reader comments
- Anonymous
1.2 million sold cars in 2026? Xiaomi won't be able to sell that many cars in my opinion, even If they started to export them. They will end up like other chinese manufacturers with a lot of unused capacity.
- 1 hour ago
- Jyx