Xiaomi begins deliveries of the YU7 SUV in China with a waiting list of more than a year for new customers

Xiaomi has started delivering its first electric SUV, the YU7, in 58 cities across China with unprecedented success. The level of demand following the launch of the company’s second electric model is overwhelming, with more than 240,000 orders confirmed in just the first 18 hours since the order book opened.

This situation has significantly extended the expected delivery date for new orders. Thus, any customer who now places an order for this electric SUV will not be able to sit behind the wheel of their new vehicle until the end of next summer, approximately 14 months, depending on the version chosen.

Those customers who were quickest to place their order for Xiaomi’s highly anticipated YU7 have, however, been much luckier. The Chinese manufacturer has already begun delivering the first units of its electric SUV, with founder and company chief Lei Jun personally taking part in the handover ceremony for some of the first buyers.

Patience, lots of patience

Although lengthy in any case, current delivery times for new YU7 customers vary depending on the chosen version. Thus, customers who opt right now for the standard version of this electric SUV will have to wait between 59 and 62 weeks to receive their vehicle. Meanwhile, for the Pro and Max versions, Xiaomi currently offers an estimated delivery date of between 53 and 56 weeks for the former, and between 45 and 48 weeks for the latter.

The launch of the YU7 at the end of June triggered an ordering frenzy, with 200,000 orders confirmed in the first three minutes and more than 240,000 in just 18 hours. Its price, practically without competition, from around 30,000 euros at current exchange rates, places many of its rivals in a difficult position, whose main hope is that Xiaomi’s limited production capacity will work in their favour for those customers who are not willing to wait more than a year to take delivery of their new vehicle.

Xiaomi accelerated production of the first units, thus facilitating the initial deliveries now underway. However, it is not yet clear when deliveries of personalised configurations will begin, although some rumours suggest that this could perhaps happen next August.

The litmus test for Xiaomi

As Elon Musk, the head of Tesla, said some time ago, the difficult part is not launching a new electric model onto the market, but being able to meet existing demand by scaling up production fast enough. That is precisely where Xiaomi finds itself right now. The YU7 is already a resounding sales success, even greater than its first electric model, the SU7, but getting all the units its customers are asking for into their hands will not be an easy task.

Xiaomi’s main plant in Beijing, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 units, adopted a two-shift regime last June in order to increase production of the brand’s electric models. Meanwhile, a second phase of the plant is already in preparation to start production shortly as well, possibly in July or August, after its construction was completed in mid-June. Additionally, Xiaomi has also recently acquired a plot of land that could house the third phase of its electric vehicle plant.