Competing products are bidding for subsidies, Lei Jun responded in a live broadcast "there is no need to do so". Actual investigation of the store: YU7 delivery cycle exceeds one year.

Recently, Xiaomi YU7 was officially launched for sale, and with a surge in orders, Xiaomi YU7 triggered multiple chain reactions. The scheduling cycle lengthened, order transfers became active, and the "non-refundable deposit" mechanism caused user anxiety, while attracting competitors in the automotive industry to launch "subsidy transfer" policies in an attempt to divert potential customers. On the evening of July 2nd, Xiaomi Group Chairman Lei Jun responded to public concerns through live broadcast, introducing data on YU7 locking orders, delivery schedules, capacity enhancement, test drive arrangements, and user demographics. Lei Jun made a rare response to competitors "blocking orders" and said "there is no need to do so." Reporters from "Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily" noticed during their visits that different models of Xiaomi YU7 had significant differences in scheduling, with higher configuration versions having shorter delivery periods. Some users, due to long waiting times, transferred their orders, and discussions about order transfers continued to heat up on social media platforms. Meanwhile, brands such as NIO and Xpeng have introduced transfer subsidy policies for potential owners of Xiaomi YU7. Significant pressure on new car test drives and deliveries As the locking of orders began, the delivery schedule for Xiaomi YU7 quickly lengthened. According to Xiaomi sales personnel, the fastest delivery period for the standard version is 58-61 weeks (over a year), 51-54 weeks for the Pro version, and 39-42 weeks for the Max version. Among them, the Max version has the shortest delivery period in the entire series. A Xiaomi car salesperson told a reporter from "Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily," "If you want to get your car earlier, consider the Max version." On social media platforms, many users have been posting screenshots of the delivery period displayed by the system after locking orders, with schedules generally exceeding 40 weeks. Some users have tried to shorten the waiting period by changing the model or color configuration method, and have been discussing the scheduling situation on user community platforms. At the same time, changes in the purchase tax policy have become an important factor affecting car purchasing plans. According to a joint announcement by the Ministry of Finance and other departments, starting in 2026, the purchase tax for new energy vehicles will change from exemption to a halving of the tax, with a maximum tax reduction of 15,000 RMB per vehicle. If the vehicle cannot be delivered by the end of 2025, users are expected to face additional tax expenses. For example, for the standard version of Xiaomi YU7 with the lowest price of 253,500 RMB, if delivered in 2026, approximately 11,200 RMB in purchase tax must be paid; while the high configuration Max version priced at 329,900 RMB will incur an additional tax of approximately 14,600 RMB due to exceeding the tax reduction limit. In addition, the national "car-for-old" subsidy will only continue until December 31, 2025, and the policies for 2026 are still unclear. Therefore, some users have expressed, "Locking orders early and getting the car before the end of the year, to avoid paying more purchase tax next year and missing out on policy benefits." Lei Jun announced during the live broadcast that 24,000 orders had been locked in for YU7 18 hours after its release, exceeding expectations, leading Xiaomi to decide to open a limited-time reconfiguration this Sunday (July 6), but "reconfiguring requires re-queuing." He acknowledged that due to the influx of orders, there is significant pressure on test drives and deliveries, and "he earnestly asks for user understanding," promising to continue to increase production capacity. Regarding the "order transfer" phenomenon and the authenticity of orders, Lei Jun responded, saying, "The proportion of Xiaomi SU7 and SU7 Ultra transferred to YU7 is less than 15%. The average age of YU7 locking users is 33 years old. Among them, the proportion of female users is 30%. This is 4.5% higher than that of SU7 during the same period. The proportion of Apple users of Xiaomi YU7 is 52.4%, which is 4.4% higher than that of SU7 during the same period. The top 3 cities with the most orders are Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Beijing. These three places are also where the Model Y sells the best." Lei Jun responds to competitors' subsidy for locking deposits In the context of non-refundable deposits and extended delivery periods, some Xiaomi YU7 locking users have begun to attempt to transfer their orders. On social media and second-hand trading platforms, reporters from "Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily" noticed that some users have posted transfer information, indicating "support for name changes" and "willing to help complete the process," with transfer prices ranging from covering costs to adding additional fees. Some users, due to later scheduling and longer waiting times, choose to pay for the transfer, with compensation ranging from hundreds to thousands of RMB; there are also users whose orders were locked earlier, with delivery periods of less than 10 weeks, who are offering transfers at prices ranging from 2,000 to tens of thousands of RMB. The transfer price is positively correlated with the delivery period, with higher price increases for shorter delivery times. In terms of transaction methods, many users shared the main paths for unofficial transfers on platforms, including assisting in changing the buyer's identity information before locking orders or completing the final delivery through a "handover" process after locking. Since Xiaomi orders are tied to identification cards, phone numbers, and Xiaomi accounts, these methods usually require negotiation and coordination between both parties, as well as assuming certain risks. The cancellation of some Xiaomi YU7 locking orders by users is seen by competing brands as an important opportunity to win over customers. When visiting a NIO direct store in Shenzhen, sales staff stated that the store is a "benchmark store in the South China region," and recently, some customers have abandoned their YU7 orders due to long delivery times and switched to ordering NIO products. They said that if the customer can provide a screenshot of the Xiaomi YU7 deposit payment, they can receive a 5,000 RMB car purchase subsidy, directly deducted from the car price. Regarding Xpeng, some sales staff have stated in communication with customers that if they switch to Xpeng models, they can receive corresponding point compensations, with the specific amount and redemption method determined by the store; according to feedback from other car owners on social media platforms, ZhiJie brand sales have also released information online about "subsidies for Xiaomi YU7 deposits" to attract some locking orders users to switch to the intention of purchasing a car. Publicly reported, the Avita brand has stores implementing similar policies. On July 1st, the person in charge of Avita stated in an interview with the media that there are indeed "cancellations compensation" behaviors, but it is autonomously implemented by stores at various locations, not a unified deployment from headquarters. The popularity of Xiaomi YU7 has also sparked discussions among some senior executives of new energy car companies. On June 30, Xiaopeng Motors Chairman He Xiaopeng also said on Weibo that he had ordered Xiaomi YU7 himself and said, "The key to success lies in strong product competitiveness." He also announced that Xiaopeng G7 will be released on July 3rd, and he looks forward to bringing "different choices." In response, Lei Jun later retweeted his Weibo post and said, "Thank you for your support, Xiaopeng. We will accelerate production and strive to deliver cars earlier." In addition, Shen Fei, Senior Vice President of NIO and President of LeDao Automobile, also said in a public statement, "After watching the YU7 launch event, you can rest assured to choose LeDao L60." He emphasized the differentiated advantages of L60 in space, screen, energy consumption, and battery swapping experience compared to Xiaomi YU7. Regarding the "blocking orders" phenomenon of some competing models, Lei Jun made a rare response during the live broadcast, saying, "Actually, there is no need for that. Doing so is really not a good practice, and we do not recommend competitors to do so." He also called on consumers to view the domestic new energy market rationally, saying, "Domestic new energy vehicles are actually quite good," and recommended other brands including Xiaopeng G7, Li Xiang i8, and Model Y. This article is translated from "Cai Lianshe"; GMTEight editor: Liu Xuan.