Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said the Chinese tech company is studying the right time to introduce its electric vehicles to the European market, local news portal Sina reported on Monday.
Lu said the group’s automotive unit was “exploring the best time to enter the European market” despite Europe’s transition to electric vehicles being “slower” than China.
The statements were made during a livestream with Xiaomi founder and executive chairman Lei Jun after they went on a business trip to Europe, where they held meetings with car makers including BMW, Ferrari and Lamborghini about potential partnerships.
In late July, Xiaomi showed off its first electric car, the SU7, at a special event in Paris, sparking rumors of a possible entry into the European market, after which the company said there were no plans to sell the car in the European market anytime soon.
However, at another virtual conference last month, Lei said Xiaomi’s plan is to enter the European car market by 2030 and become one of the top five car brands in the world within 15 to 20 years.
The SU7, which marks the Chinese company’s entry into the automotive sector, was unveiled on March 28 with a starting price of 215,900 yuan (27,400 euros), and 50,000 orders were registered in the first 27 minutes.
The Xiaomi car, so far known mainly for its mobile phones, is equipped with what are called “super-powerful” V6 or V8 electric motors depending on the model and provides acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.78 seconds, as well as a top speed of 265 kilometers per hour in the maximum range.
Xiaomi’s founder has set a target of more than 100,000 shipments this year and has made it clear that they will be “100%” focused on the domestic market over the next three years.
“We do business in over 100 countries, we have a global presence and a Xiaomi fan base. When we are ready to make the leap to the international market, it will be a natural step,” he explained.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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