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Ford CEO Jim Farley’s favorite Chinese EV is coming to Europe.
Speaking on an earnings call on Tuesday, Xiaomi president Lu Weibing said the smartphone giant would begin selling its electric vehicles in Europe in 2027.
The move marks the first overseas foray for Xiaomi’s electric vehicles, which have proved enormously popular in China and wowed Western auto executives.
Xiaomi did not specify which of its vehicles it would introduce in Europe.
The Chinese Apple rival only launched its first vehicle, the SU7 sedan, last March, after CEO Lei Jun pushed the company to take on industry giants like BYD and Tesla.
The $30,000 SU7 quickly became a smash hit, selling more than 135,000 units last year. Xiaomi launched its second electric vehicle, the $35,000 YU7 SUV, in June, with the Model Y rival amassing over 240,000 preorders in 24 hours.
The SU7 is not available in the US thanks to high tariffs on Chinese vehicles, but that has not stopped Ford CEO Farley from becoming one of the EV’s most high-profile fans.
The Detroit executive called Xiaomi an “industry juggernaut” last October. Farley said that he had been driving an SU7 that Ford flew from Shanghai to Chicago for six months, adding that he “didn’t want to give it up.”
Xiaomi is the latest Chinese automaker to eye expansion in Europe, as China’s brutally competitive auto market continues to heat up.
Other brands like BYD and Xpeng have seen rapid sales growth in the European market. In April, BYD sold more battery EVs than Tesla on the continent for the first time.
Speaking on the earnings call, Lu Weibing said Xiaomi picked Europe as its first overseas launch because it was the “most difficult” market outside China.
Weibing added that the company would need to increase brand awareness of its electric vehicles in Europe, but said that Xiaomi’s highly dedicated fan base would make this easier.
Xiaomi announced better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, with rising revenues from EV sales balancing out slowing demand for the company’s smartphones.
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