Xiaomi Completes Business Registration of Electric Vehicle Unit

Xiaomi EV has employed 300 staff so far, the company said.

By Reuters | Updated: 1 September 2021 13:11 IST

Xiaomi Completes Business Registration of Electric Vehicle Unit

Xiaomi became the world's second top-selling brand behind Samsung in the second quarter

Highlights

Xiaomi has conducted more than 2,000 interview surveys
Xiaomi purchased autonomous driving technology startup Deepmotion
Xiaomi's second-quarter earnings last week beat analyst estimates

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi said on Wednesday it has completed the official business registration of its electric vehicle unit, marking the latest milestone in its push into the automotive sector.

The new unit, to be called Xiaomi EV, opened with registered capital of CNY 10 billion (roughly Rs. 11,290 crores) and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun as its legal representative, Xiaomi said in a statement.

Some 300 staff have so far been employed to join the EV unit and it continues to recruit talent, it said.

Xiaomi Prepares Autonomous Driving Expansion as Revenue Surges 64 Percent

The smartphone maker, which became the world's second top-selling brand behind Samsung in the second quarter, confirmed its foray into electric cars in March, pledging to invest $10 billion (roughly Rs. 73,020 crores) over the next 10 years.

Lei said at the time the push into electric vehicles would mark his "last major entrepreneurial project."

Xiaomi said on Wednesday it has since conducted more than 2,000 interview surveys and visited over 10 industry peers and partners. However, it has revealed few details of its strategy for the automotive sector or vehicle types it intends to launch.

Xiaomi Became Top Smartphone Brand Globally in June: Counterpoint

Last week, the company said it purchased autonomous driving technology startup Deepmotion for over $77 million, in an effort to boost research and development.

Earlier in August, Reuters reported that Xiaomi had entered talks with beleaguered real estate giant Evergrande Group to purchase a stake in the latter's automotive unit.

In response to the news, a Xiaomi spokesperson wrote on the company social media account that it is in touch with several automakers but has yet to decide which one to work with.

Xiaomi's second-quarter earnings last week beat analyst estimates, with revenues and net profits increasing 64 percent and 87.4 percent respectively. The company's share of the global smartphone market has surged following the retreat of its chief rival, Huawei in the face of US government sanctions.

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