Lei Jun, head of Xiaomi: “We bought three Model Y, took them apart piece by piece, and examined each component individually”

Xiaomi continue to expand their product portfolio having entered the car market in 2024.

Recently, Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, admitted the company bought three Tesla Model Ys and revealed they were disassembled and studied component-by-component for research and benchmarking purposes during the development of their own electric vehicles, like the Xiaomi YU7 SUV.

Xiaomi was openly analyzing a top competitor’s product to understand its engineering, materials, and technology. This is a common industry practice known as a “teardown.”

Lei Jun was surprisingly complimentary, calling the Tesla Model Y a “very, very outstanding Tesla model car” and stating there was “a lot to learn” from it.

He often used the Model Y as a direct benchmark, comparing it side-by-side with the new Xiaomi YU7.

Due to overwhelming demand for the Xiaomi YU7, Lei Jun even suggested that customers who don’t want to wait could consider buying a Tesla Model Y (or other Chinese-made EVs) instead, further highlighting his respect for the competition.

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