Is the head of Xiaomi a fan or making fun of Tesla?

The head of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, publicly congratulated Tesla on the very first delivery of a fully autonomous car.

The feat achieved by Tesla, made possible by the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, is indeed worth acknowledging. However, the congratulations from the newly richest man in China are almost amusing as they come just days after the unveiling of the YU7, an electric SUV designed to directly compete with the Tesla Model Y.

The message was posted on the Chinese social network Weibo. This choice is significant, considering that Lei Jun is highly active on X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk’s social network, where he floods the platform with dozens of posts a day. Yet, oddly, he did not share these congratulations there… Lei Jun praises Tesla’s impressive achievements, stating that the American brand continues to lead on many fronts, particularly in autonomous driving. He concludes by admitting that Xiaomi still has a lot to learn. This surprisingly modest stance is especially notable given the ambition displayed by the Chinese group since its entry into the electric vehicle market.

Simultaneously, Xiaomi has put significant efforts into positioning the YU7 as the most serious competitor to the Model Y. This spacious SUV, better equipped and more affordable than Tesla’s flagship model, saw immediate success, with 200,000 firm orders recorded within the first three minutes of its launch.

Elon Musk preens, Lei Jun delights

For his part, Elon Musk did not hesitate to share the video of this first autonomous delivery on his social network X. It shows a brand new Model Y leaving the Giga Texas factory on its own, traveling several kilometers completely autonomously, before arriving safely at the new owner’s home. The message is clear: Tesla remains ahead in the race, not only commercially but also technologically.

Lei Jun’s nod, whether sincere or calculated, reflects a very strategic form of respect. In the hyper-competitive market of electric vehicles in China, where every manufacturer dreams of shaking up the established order, congratulating the opponent can also be a subtle way to lay the groundwork for better confrontation.

ALSO READ: Tesla and its delivery extortion