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 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 in Germany.
The fact Xiaomi EV is meeting with potential retail partners suggests it will partner with franchise dealers, rather 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 what kind of partnerships we’re looking for.
“We also answered their questions to make clear that we’re looking for long-lasting relationships.”
The company hosted a track event at the start of this month 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 company is expected to begin European EV sales by 2027 following the launch of its Xiaomi YU7 luxury SUV and growing international expansion plans.
Germany is likely to be a launch market, with right-hand drive vehicles arriving in the UK by 2028.
Xiaomi, currently one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, entered the EV market in 2024 with the launch of the Xiaomi SU7. It is one of the first tech companies to successfully launch a car, with rivals like Apple, Sony and Google failing to get over the line, as yet.
The business has rapidly expanded its retail footprint in China, opening 335 smart EV sales centres across 92 cities by the end of June this year.
The YU7 secured 240,000 orders within 18 hours of launch in China, with the model positioned against rivals including the Porsche Macan, Tesla and BYD.
European specifications have not yet been confirmed, although Xiaomi has said the YU7 is capable of travelling up to 835km on a single charge and accelerating from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds.
Former BMW Group technical director leading European R&D
The company is also building 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.