Xiaomi's second-phase automobile factory is urgently recruiting workers to address the urgent need for YU7 production capacity.
After the Xiaomi SU7, the Xiaomi YU7 has undoubtedly become another phenomenal hit in the automotive industry.
However, production capacity and delivery have undoubtedly become the biggest tests for the Xiaomi YU7. On the Xiaomi Auto App, the Xiaomi YU7 Standard Edition requires the longest waiting time, which could reach up to 15 months at most; the Max Edition has the shortest waiting time, but it still takes about 9.5 months at the earliest.
Currently, Xiaomi Auto only has its first-phase factory in Yizhuang, Beijing, which is unable to handle the large number of orders for two models. According to information obtained by "Next-Generation Auto Research Institute" from Xiaomi's human resources supplier, Xiaomi's second-phase auto factory is currently conducting large-scale recruitment in preparation for mass production. The supplier revealed that employees are required to work in two shifts, with a daily working hours of 11 hours.
In addition, due to the insufficient production capacity, competitors have also been "poaching" customers. Many automakers have introduced policies to reimburse the deposit for users who have locked in orders for the Xiaomi YU7.
Up to 15 months of waiting? Lei Jun steps in to comfort
After the release of the Xiaomi YU7, its popularity far exceeded that of the Xiaomi SU7 last year.
According to the data officially announced by Xiaomi, the Xiaomi YU7 received over 200,000 firm orders in 3 minutes, over 289,000 in 1 hour, and over 240,000 locked orders in 18 hours...
"I'm really excited to get so many orders, which far exceeded my expectations. Maybe we've all witnessed a miracle in China's automotive industry together," Lei Jun, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group, said to "Next-Generation Auto Research Institute" after the press conference.
However, behind the explosion of orders, there is both sweetness and the annoyance of production capacity and delivery.
"Next-Generation Auto Research Institute" saw on the Xiaomi Auto App that currently, the Xiaomi YU7 Standard Edition will be delivered in 57 - 60 weeks at the earliest after the order is locked, the Xiaomi YU7 Pro in 50 - 53 weeks, and the Xiaomi YU7 Max in 38 - 41 weeks.
Overall, the Standard Edition requires the longest waiting time, which could reach up to 15 months at most; the Max Edition has the shortest waiting time, but it still takes about 9.5 months at the earliest.
With such a long waiting time, some users who have locked in orders have also requested a refund of the deposit. However, Xiaomi Auto's customer service said that after paying the deposit, users need to manually lock in the order. Orders will be produced according to the order of the locked - in time. The configuration can be modified within the 7 - day hesitation period. After the hesitation period ends, the order will be automatically locked, and the deposit will not be refunded.
To comfort the users who have locked in orders, Lei Jun and other Xiaomi executives have also spoken out on Weibo multiple times. Lei Jun said, "We will definitely go all out to speed up production and strive to deliver your beloved cars to you as soon as possible. Thank you all for your support."
Wang Hua, the general manager of Xiaomi Group's Public Relations Department, also said that the delivery time shown in the Xiaomi Auto App is a reference for the estimated delivery time. We calculated and updated the estimated delivery cycle of all orders for the first time based on the number of locked - in orders and the current production capacity. However, as the production line becomes more efficient through running - in and the production capacity is further explored and increased, the actual delivery time may also change dynamically. We will dynamically update the latest estimated time in the Xiaomi Auto App, so please stay tuned.
Xiaomi's second - phase factory urgently recruits workers: 230 yuan per day
To solve the delivery problem, the key lies in expanding the production capacity of the factory.
It is reported that Xiaomi's only existing first - phase factory in Yizhuang, Beijing, was initially designed with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Since June 2024, the double - shift mode has been implemented, further increasing the production capacity. According to Xiaomi's official data, a car rolls off the production line every 76 seconds.
However, it is a huge challenge for this factory to solve the production capacity problems of both the Xiaomi SU7 and the Xiaomi YU7. There are still a large number of orders for the Xiaomi SU7, which was released last year, waiting to be delivered.
There are reports that the construction of Xiaomi's second - phase auto factory is nearing completion and was officially completed in June, with mass production expected to start in July. "Next - Generation Auto Research Institute" learned from Xiaomi's human resources supplier that the second - phase factory is currently conducting large - scale recruitment in preparation for mass production.
The recruitment information released by the supplier shows that the second - phase factory is recruiting for positions such as general workers, operators, and trailer drivers. The age range is from 18 to 38 years old, and only males are required. Employees are required to work in two shifts, with a daily working hours of 11 hours, and the daily wage is 230 yuan.
It is worth noting that in addition to the second - phase factory, Xiaomi is also preparing for the third - phase factory.
In March this year, the Economic and Technological Development Zone Branch of the Beijing Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Commission announced that a plot of about 52 hectares adjacent to the second - phase factory project of Xiaomi Auto was planned as Class I industrial project land. In June this year, Xiaomi won a bid for an industrial project plot in Yizhuang New City for 635 million yuan. This plot will be "used to build a new - energy intelligent connected vehicle and parts manufacturing project".
It is speculated that this may be the location of Xiaomi's third - phase auto factory, but Xiaomi has not responded officially.
Many automakers introduce "intercepting" policies
With the explosion of orders for the Xiaomi YU7, there are some "envious" automakers.
On the day after the Xiaomi YU7 press conference, Zhu Jiangming, the chairman of Leapmotor, said, "I was in a good mood yesterday because the order volume of Leapmotor was quite good. But after watching Mr. Lei's press conference last night and seeing so many cars sold in one hour, I suddenly felt a lot of pressure."
He Xiaopeng, the chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors, blessed the Xiaomi YU7. He said that he congratulated the Xiaomi YU7 on its excellent performance in last week's release. The core of the YU7's success is its strong product competitiveness. So he also placed an order for the YU7 that night and @Lei Jun to urge an early delivery. Lei Jun replied online, thanking XPeng for its support and promising to speed up production and strive to deliver the cars earlier.
However, some automakers have chosen to confront the Xiaomi YU7 head - on.
Shen Fei, the senior vice - president of NIO and the president of LeDao Auto, posted on Weibo, "After watching the YU7 press conference, you can rest assured to choose the LeDao L60. It has more space, a larger screen, lower energy consumption, a more reasonable price, a 52 - liter super - large freezer, and can even be battery - swapped all the way to Mount Everest."
Dongfeng Nissan was even more radical. Huang Zhaokun, the person in charge of the three - electric system and power development of Dongfeng Nissan, posted that the 200,000 firm orders for the Xiaomi YU7 in 3 minutes mean that users have to wait for more than a year to get their cars. There are no such blindly loyal brand fans in any country. It once again verifies the law that 'groups reduce wisdom'. Increasing the automotive production capacity requires thousands of parts suppliers to expand production simultaneously, which is not as easy as in the mobile phone industry. But this mobile - phone industry routine can easily stir up emotions.
Huang Zhaokun's remarks also caused a huge controversy, and finally he had to delete the post and publicly apologize.
Facing the insufficient production capacity of the Xiaomi YU7, competitors are also using means such as price cuts and preferential policies to compete for orders.
On the day of the Xiaomi YU7 press conference, the Zhijie brand under Hongmeng Smart Mobility announced that all Zhijie models would receive a cash subsidy of 20,000 yuan, and users could enjoy a maximum of 60,000 yuan in car - purchase benefits.
At the Xiaomi YU7 press conference, Lei Jun publicly stated that the Xiaomi YU7 would be benchmarked against the Tesla Model Y. He said that the Xiaomi YU7 is superior to the Model Y in terms of space, range, etc., and its starting price is also 10,000 yuan cheaper. On July 1st, Tesla China upgraded two models, the long - range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y. Among them, the CLTC range of the Model 3 Long - Range All - Wheel Drive version increased to 753 kilometers, the 0 - 100km/h acceleration improved to 3.8 seconds, and the starting price is 285,500 yuan; the CLTC range of the refreshed Model Y Long - Range All - Wheel Drive version increased to 750 kilometers, and the starting price remained at 313,500 yuan, which clearly aims to compete with the Xiaomi YU7.
It is worth noting that under the anxious waiting of users who have locked in orders for the Xiaomi YU7, some automakers have even introduced policies to reimburse the deposit to attract these users to switch to their own products.
On social media, salespeople from many brands, including IM Motors, Avita, ZEEKR, and NIO, are promoting the deposit - reimbursement policy for Xiaomi YU7 users online, which is like snatching orders online.
For example, a salesperson from IM Motors posted that IM Motors would cover the deposit for those who bought "Xiaomi cars". He said that whether it was due to a misoperation when locking in the order or a change of mind, as long as you are interested in switching to IM Motors, IM Motors will cover the 5,000 - yuan deposit. "No need to wait, we have in - stock cars for immediate delivery," the salesperson said.
Another salesperson from Avita posted that the delivery cycle of the Xiaomi YU7 is too long, and the vehicle purchase tax will have to be paid next year. If you switch to Avita, you can get a 5,000 - yuan deposit compensation.
In addition, many netizens said that salespeople from brands such as ZEEKR, Zhijie, NIO, and Lynk & Co also said that they have corresponding deposit - compensation measures for users who cancel their orders for the Xiaomi YU7.
In this context, the loyalty of users who have locked in orders for the Xiaomi YU7 may face a certain test.
This article is from the WeChat public account "Sina Technology", author: Zhang Jun. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.