Xiaomi tops 800,000 EV deliveries, eyes Europe launch

Xiaomi announced at IFA Berlin 2026 that its automotive division will begin selling electric vehicles in Europe in 2027, with Germany as its first confirmed market. The company has signed memorandums of understanding with eight German dealership groups, marking a dealer-based sales approach rather than the direct-to-consumer model it uses in China.

Dealer Network Takes Shape

Xiaomi Auto formally signed the MoUs on September 3 at IFA, partnering with Ernst Dello, Autohaus Dinnebier, Emil Frey Germany, Fett & Wirtz, Hahn Automobile, LUEG Mobility, Penske-Jacobs Innovation, and SPT Avior. Among them, LUEG Mobility is a Mercedes-Benz dealer, and Emil Frey is one of Germany's largest automotive dealership groups. Xiaomi already operates a research and development center in Munich.carscoops+2

The dealer-based model represents a departure from the direct sales strategy Xiaomi employs in China, but it allows the company to leverage established customer trust and retail infrastructure in a market where it lacks the brand recognition it enjoys at home. In China, Xiaomi is widely known as a consumer electronics brand, often called the "Apple of China," but in Europe it remains a relatively small player.carscoops

Tariff Headwinds

A major challenge awaits. The EU imposes countervailing duties on electric vehicles imported from China, and because Xiaomi had not yet launched its first EV when the European Commission opened its anti-subsidy investigation in 2023, the company did not participate in the probe. As a result, it faces the highest possible combined duty of up to 45.3 percent — a 35.3 percent countervailing duty on top of the standard 10 percent import tariff. That will push prices well above what Xiaomi charges domestically and test whether its vehicles can compete in one of the world's most contested automotive markets.chinaeconomicreview+1

800,000 Milestone and What's Next

The European expansion announcement came alongside a production milestone. CEO Lei Jun said on Monday that Xiaomi Auto's cumulative deliveries had surpassed 800,000 vehicles, roughly 29 months after the company began handing over its first SU7 sedans in April 2024. The company delivered 104,199 vehicles in the second quarter of 2026 alone.technode+2

Xiaomi is also launching the Sky Nomad lineup — its first extended-range electric SUVs — at a product event Monday evening in Beijing, a critical step toward reaching its annual delivery target of 550,000 vehicles. Whether those ambitions, and the European push, can overcome steep tariffs and an unfamiliar market remains to be seen.cnevpost