Bumper orders for Xiaomi's YU7 SUV heighten threat to Tesla

Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun introduces the Chinese smartphone maker’s electric SUV YU7 at a launch event in Beijing in May. Florence Lo/Reuters

Exceptionally strong initial orders for Xiaomi’s YU7 electric sport utility vehicle sent shares in the automotive newcomer to a record high on Friday and fanned speculation that Tesla may have to cut prices to fight back.

The company received 289 000 orders for the YU7 — only its second vehicle and one that undercuts Tesla’s Model Y in price by 4% — in its first hour on sale, according to CEO Lei Jun.

That was more than three times the level for its SU7 electric sedan launched in March last year and easily exceeded market expectations of around 100 000 in orders.

Xiaomi’s shares shot 8% higher in early trade to an all-time high but later pared gains to be up 3%

Tesla’s Model Y, China’s best-selling SUV, will likely lose more market share, analysts said.

That would only rub salt into the wound for the US car maker, which has steadily lost ground to domestic EV makers that have won over consumers with snazzy new models. Xiaomi’s SU7, for example, has outsold Tesla’s Model 3 in China on a monthly basis since December.

The YU7 is priced from CY253 500 (R625 000), which is “slightly below that of Tesla’s Model Y but it offers much better specs and performance”, said analysts at Jefferies.

Citi analysts said Tesla may have to cut prices further, offer its “full self-driving” driver assistance software for free and offer more financing incentives if it is to successfully compete with Xiaomi.

$200-billion

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its share of the Chinese EV market has fallen from a peak of 15% in 2020 to 10% last year and then again to 7.6% for the first months of 2025.

Xiaomi’s shares shot 8% higher in early trade to an all-time high but later pared gains to be up 3%. They have risen by more than 70% so far this year to value the smartphone and appliance maker at nearly US$200-billion, making the company the best performing large cap stock in Asia-Pacific, according to LSEG data. — Brenda Goh, Che Pan and Qiaoyi Li, with Zhang Yan, (c) 2025 Reuters

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