Xiaomi‘s second model, the fully electric YU7 crossover, was spotted on Wednesday on Interstate 5 in Illinois, in what almost certainly belongs to the testing fleet of the EV maker Rivian.
The ‘132’ plate fuelled speculation that the mid-size crossover is owned by Rivian for competitive benchmarking and reverse engineering purposes.
Purchasing competitors’ vehicles is standard practice in the automotive industry, where both design and engineering teams routinely benchmark and reverse-engineer rival models to inform their own development programs.
According to Carscoops, the ‘132’ prefix displayed on the YU7 Max’s manufacturer plate has previously appeared on confirmed Rivian test vehicles.
Praises from Rivian and Ford
The spotting comes as the Chinese tech giant is drawing praise by both Rivian and Ford Motor Co. CEOs.
Last week, Rivian Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe praised BYD Co. Co. and Xiaomi as leading EV manufacturers in China, while also pointing to the advantages provided by the country’s subsidies.
“Companies like Xiaomi or BYD very much technically demonstrate a lot of leadership, and then from a price point of view, are quite competitive,” the CEO stated.
Meanwhile, back in October 2024, Ford‘s CEO Jim Farley praised Xiaomi‘s debut model — SU7 —, revealing that he drove the sedan imported from China for six months in the US.
Last Saturday, Financial Times reported that the Detroit automaker was in talks with Xiaomi over a possible joint venture to manufacture vehicles at Ford’s US plants.
However, both companies denied the report.
YU7 Model
Last June, Xiaomi launched the fully electric YU7 in China, becoming its second EV model, after the SU7 sedan.
Within three minutes of the SUV’s debut, the brand secured 200,000 pre-orders. After one hour, it had received 289,000 firm orders.
The model is offered in three different variants — Standard, Pro, and Max — and is priced from 253,500 yuan ($36,500).
According to the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), cumulative deliveries of the model have reached 153,673 as of the end of 2025.
Last December, 39,089 units of the model were delivered — representing 77.9% of Xiaomi‘s EV volume that month.
Upcoming Models
Xiaomi is preparing to expand its lineup with additional SUVs.
The extended-range electric YU9 is planned to debut in the first half of this year at April’s Beijing Auto Show.
The upcoming EREV SUV was spotted last month in China alongside the YU8 and the SU7L.
This upcoming EREV SUV was spotted last month in China, alongside the YU8 and the SU7L.
The company also aims to launch its EV portfolio in Europe next year, having planned showrooms and opened stores in the region in the second half of 2025.
Xiaomi Sales
The auto unit of the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi achieved its weakest result since August in the first month of 2026, with “over 39,000” deliveries.
Compared to January 2025, before the YU7 was launched, the company’s sales increased by 70.3%, but dropped by about 20% month-on-month.
Xiaomi did not disclose the exact number of vehicle deliveries, only indicating that it stood between 39,000 and 40,000 units.
The exact number of EVs delivered in China last month will be disclosed by the country’s Passenger Car Association later in January.
Last year, Xiaomi delivered 411,837 vehicles, surpassing its final annual target of 400,000 units.
The company had initially aimed to deliver 300,000 units at the beginning of 2025, but revised the guidance upward twice throughout the year.
Last month, Xiaomi co-founder and CEO Lei Jun announced a 550,000-unit target for 2026, representing a 34% increase from 2025.
