Xiaomi: 500,000 Cars in 600 Days, an Unprecedented Feat
- Published on 20/11/2025 14:02
- Modified on 20/11/2025 14:05
Xiaomi has reached a milestone that no automaker has been able to achieve in such a short time of less than two years.
Eighteen months after the delivery of its first units, the Smart EV division of the Chinese group Xiaomi has not only produced over 500,000 vehicles but also recorded its very first profitable quarter by Q3 2025. This dual achievement confirms that Xiaomi’s entry into the automotive sector is not just a mere diversification exercise but rather a large-scale industrial disruption.
In the third quarter of 2025, the Smart EV business, combined with AI and new initiatives, generates 29 billion yuan in revenue (3.5 billion euros) and, most importantly, 0.7 billion yuan (85.5 million euros) in positive operating profit. Tesla had to wait more than a decade to achieve this same goal, while BYD, despite its expertise in batteries, also faced a long deficit period before its electric pivot. Xiaomi, on the other hand, crosses this threshold in less than two years since the launch of its first model, the SU7 sedan.
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The Unprecedented Profitability of Xiaomi
This profitability can largely be explained by the rapid increase in production. Q3 2025 marks a new record with 108,796 deliveries, compared to 81,302 units three months prior and 75,869 in the first quarter of 2025. The SU7 stabilizes within the top ranks of Chinese electric sedans, while the new SUV YU7 immediately asserts itself as the number one in sales in its category in October on the continental market.
Such a trajectory is extremely rare for a new automaker: Xiaomi manages to avoid the industrial bottlenecks typically associated with rapid scaling, where other brands, Tesla especially, have long described this stage as the “production hell.”
To gauge the uniqueness of this ascent, it must be placed within historical context. Xiaomi has not merely launched a model: it has built a complete supply chain in record time, from platform design to industrialization, including the opening of 402 Smart EV sales centers in 119 Chinese cities.
Even Hyundai, often cited as one of the most meteoric cases of the 20th century, took nearly ten years to reach comparable volumes. Tesla, in its case, had to learn to industrialize rapidly while overcoming numerous obstacles. Xiaomi benefits from an unprecedented advantage: the strength of the Chinese industrial ecosystem, capable of sustaining extreme production rates and seamlessly integrating hardware, software, and supply chains.
This combination – an already popular brand, rare software expertise in the automotive sector, and an exceptionally efficient local industrial ecosystem – largely explains why Xiaomi is breaking historical records. The question remains whether this success story will remain confined to the Chinese market or if it will become a model for global expansion.
One thing is certain: with half a million cars produced, over 100,000 deliveries in a single quarter, and profitability already achieved, Xiaomi has just signed the fastest and most controlled rise in the history of modern automotive.
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This page is translated from the original post "Xiaomi : 500 000 voitures en 600 jours, un exploit sans précédent" in French.
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