Xiaomi's Ambitious EV Strategy: 550,000 SU7 Sales Target for 2026 Revealed!

[Digital Today reporter Lee Yun-seo] Digital Today reports Xiaomi has hired Kong Yanshuang (孔雁爽), the former head of Tesla’s China sales organization, to lead its vehicle sales operations.

Electrek, citing a Jimmyan report on April 1, said Xiaomi has set a 2026 sales target of 550,000 electric vehicles. Kong joined Xiaomi in early March and is currently completing the handover as he succeeds Li Xiaorui as director of Xiaomi’s automotive division.

Kong oversaw Tesla’s South China operations, expanding retail and service footprints in Guangzhou and Shenzhen and pushing into lower-tier cities. From 2022 to 2023, while serving as Tesla’s China lead, he took part in milestones at the Shanghai Gigafactory and attended new-model launch briefings. In Tesla’s May 2024 management reshuffle, he was put in charge of Shanghai-region sales.

Xiaomi’s auto unit has continued to recruit from Tesla. Another Tesla alumnus, Eason, has joined Xiaomi’s strategy team and now works directly under CEO Lei Jun. Industry sources say several Tesla executives have moved to Xiaomi in recent months.

Xiaomi delivered more than 410,000 vehicles in 2025 and surpassed 600,000 cumulative deliveries by February 2026. Managers from Tesla who joined after late 2025 are reorganizing field operations, focusing on processes, data and capabilities in staffing, inventory and retail management.

Sales momentum is already visible. Xiaomi boosted volume with a refreshed SU7: the updated model secured over 15,000 orders within 34 minutes of its relaunch and has more than 30,000 confirmed orders. The next‑generation SU7 advertises a 902 km range (about 560 miles) and is priced at 229,900 yuan (roughly $33,404). The YU7 SUV reportedly outsold the Tesla Model Y in China in January 2026.

Looking ahead, Xiaomi plans to introduce four additional models in 2026 beyond the SU7 and YU7, likely including a premium SU7 variant and two long-range SUVs. The company is targeting 2027 for its first overseas expansion, with Europe expected to be the initial gateway for market growth.