Xiaomi Unveils YU7 Standard and YU7 GT; Former Tesla Factory Head Song Gang Explains Why He Joined Xiaomi

On the evening of May 21, Xiaomi launched the new standard version of the YU7, starting at RMB 233,500. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.90 seconds, delivers a maximum output of 320 PS, and has a top speed of 220 km/h. It is equipped with a 73 kWh battery, offering a CLTC range of 643 km and capable of adding 405 km of range in just 15 minutes of charging. The original standard version has been renamed the Long Range variant, and the full lineup now includes the Standard, Long Range, Pro, and Max trims. Reservations opened at 9:00 PM that night with a RMB 5,000 deposit, and customers placing orders during the initial sales period are eligible for a 5-year low-interest financing plan. Also unveiled at the same event was the YU7 GT, priced from RMB 389,900. Powered by Xiaomi’s V8s EVO motor, it reaches a peak rotational speed of 28,000 rpm and features a dual-motor system producing up to 1,003 PS, enabling a top speed of 300 km/h and a 0–100 km/h sprint time of just 2.92 seconds. Xiaomi officially describes it as a “sports car–level SUV suitable for long-distance travel.” Reservations for the YU7 GT opened the same night with a RMB 20,000 deposit, and customers who placed orders before 24:00 on June 30 would receive the 5-year low-interest financing offer plus limited-time benefits worth up to RMB 85,000. On May 22, Lei Jun announced on social media that the YU7 GT had set a new Nürburgring Nordschleife SUV lap record of 7 minutes 22.755 seconds—improving upon its previous time of 7 minutes 34.931 seconds, which was revealed on May 19. Ren Zhoucan, Xiaomi’s chief test driver, became the first Chinese driver to receive official Nürburgring lap time certification. During the launch event, Lei Jun disclosed that the YU7 has delivered a cumulative total of 232,000 units in its first 10 months on the market—still behind the Tesla Model Y’s同期 figure of 358,000 units, though the YU7 has outsold the Model Y in two separate months. He also explained that after the initial YU7 launch last year drew industry skepticism due to over 200,000 “large deposits” placed within three minutes, Xiaomi shifted to reporting only “locked orders”—deposits paid by users that are non-refundable. Following the event, Song Gang, Vice President of Xiaomi Group’s Automobile Division, publicly shared for the first time why he joined Xiaomi. He said Xiaomi’s “Human-Car-Home Full Ecosystem” strategy caught his attention, and after discussions with Lei Jun and the team, he was deeply impressed by their passion and dedication to the automotive endeavor, which solidified his decision to join. Previously, Song served as Senior Director of Manufacturing, Vice President, and Plant Manager at Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai. He joined Xiaomi in April 2024 as Vice President and Chief of Staff of the Automobile Division. Lei Jun revealed it took him 18 months to convince Song to join. Song noted that Xiaomi shares Tesla’s pursuit of excellence, and highlighted Xiaomi’s open culture—which encourages every employee to perform at 120% capacity—as a key factor in attracting talent. Recently, Xiaomi Auto completed a senior leadership reshuffle: Song now oversees the Production Manufacturing, Intelligent Manufacturing, and Systems Operations departments, reporting directly to Lei Jun. Another vice president, Yu Liguo, concurrently serves as head of the Overseas Business Preparatory Team and reports dually to Lei Jun and Group President Lu Weibing. Xiaomi also released its latest delivery figures: in April 2024, monthly deliveries exceeded 30,000 units, a 50% increase from March and a new monthly record for the brand. Deliveries for the first four months of 2024 totaled over 109,000 units, up 11% year-over-year. This growth came amid an overall decline in China’s new energy passenger vehicle retail market, marking Xiaomi as a standout performer. By April 2026, cumulative deliveries of Xiaomi vehicles had surpassed 656,000 units. As Xiaomi’s flagship model, the SU7 launched in March 2024 and achieved total first-generation deliveries exceeding 380,000 units. On May 6, 2025, Lei Jun revealed that pre-orders for the next-generation SU7 during its initial sales period exceeded 80,000 locked orders. According to financial results, Xiaomi’s automotive business generated RMB 103.3 billion in revenue in 2025, accounting for 22.6% of the group’s total revenue, with a gross margin of 24.3%—marking its first annual operating profit of RMB 900 million.