Xiaomi overwhelmed by YU7 EV orders; CEO urges buyers to consider Tesla

Xiaomi is groaning under the weight of so many YU7 SUV orders, with the waiting list stretching into more than a year. The CEO has done the unthinkable: encourage buyers to consider rival products.

Chinese drivers now have to wait up to 57 weeks to get delivery of their YU7. This would have been good news to Xiaomi executives if not for the fact that the wait time has become a documented source of frustration for their customers. Bloomberg reports that popular Chinese auto website 12365.com ranks the new YU7 in the top 20 most-complained-about vehicles, with the majority of the issues being related to long wait times.

To help alleviate the concerns, Xiaomi CEO and co-founder Lei Jun has posted on Weibo about his company's efforts to scale up the production capacity of the YU7. He acknowledged the long queue and asked for patience. However, for customers who cannot wait, Lei is recommending a few other electric vehicles.

Jun noted that the Tesla Model Y is a good car and even mentioned the rival’s promotions. “The Model Y is a good car, and Tesla announced many preferential policies yesterday, so you may want to consider it as well.”

Other EVs suggested by Lei are the Xpeng G7 and Li Auto i8.

There were clear indications that the Chinese market would react strongly to the YU7. Xiaomi secured 200,000 orders within three minutes of the car's availability. Many drivers were drawn to the value for money offered, which compares favorably to other electric SUVs on the market.

Other interesting tidbits from Lei’s post include the average age of order makers is 33 years, and 30 percent were made by female drivers. The CEO also revealed that Xiaomi operated stores in 92 cities across China as of July, with plans to cover an additional 18 cities before the end of the month.

Lei stated that Xiaomi conducted vehicle testing with 653 YU7 units, which is significantly above the industry standard of 70-250 units.

The Xiaomi YU7 outputs up to 1,527 hp in the highest trim and can last up to 519 miles (CLTC standards) before needing to stop for a charge. The entry model starts at 253,500 yuan ($35,300).