Xiaomi, a company primarily known for its smartphones, has made its debut in the automotive sector with the launch of its first car, the SU7, on March 28. This milestone event marks the commencement of production at the Xiaomi Super Factory in Beijing, China, where the sedan is manufactured.
Lei Jun, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi, revealed that the factory has the capacity to produce 40 cars per hour, enabling a new SU7 to come off the assembly line every 76 seconds.
This impressive output is attributed to the highly automated production process and the incorporation of advanced smart manufacturing techniques. The factory boasts over 700 robots that perform various tasks, including installation, inspection, and transportation, facilitating a seamless production flow.
In the body shop alone, 20 employees work alongside 381 robots, with an average of eight robots per workstation, efficiently handling tasks like door installation, bolt tightening, and hinge adjustments. Remarkably, the time taken to assemble parts to the car body is less than 30 seconds, a rate Xiaomi claims is twice as fast as traditional car manufacturing processes.
Xiaomi’s innovative approach extends to the paint shop, where a smart system with flexible color sorting can switch paint colors in just 40 minutes, significantly enhancing efficiency and reducing delivery times by 25 percent.
Despite the technological advancements and initial success, Xiaomi faces challenges with the SU7. Following the announcement of their automotive venture on March 30, 2021, and the subsequent unveiling of the SU7 in 2024, the company has encountered issues with the vehicle’s stability, as evidenced by social media footage of test cars crashing under hard acceleration.
Nevertheless, the market response has been overwhelmingly positive, with 50,000 reservation requests made within minutes of launch and 90,000 within 24 hours. Customers interested in purchasing the SU7 were required to make a deposit of 5,000 yuan ($691), leading to extended waiting times and some cancellations.
Those who have reserved the higher-end SU7 Pro model can expect a waiting period of 18 to 21 weeks, while the SU7 Max buyers face a wait of around 30 weeks. Xiaomi plans to commence deliveries in April, aiming for sales of 100,000 units in the first year and hoping to reach up to 900,000 units over the next three years.