Ford CEO Says He Has Been Driving A Xiaomi EV For The Past 6 Months And Doesn’t Want To Give It Up

Ford CEO says he doesn’t want to give up the Chinese-made Xiaomi Speed Ultra 7 he has been driving for the past since months.

Ford boss admitted flying one of the Chinese tech giant’s first-ever electric SUV from Shanghai (China) to Chicago (U.S).

He didn’t specify which version he was driving, but the SU7 is currently available only in China in SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max.

He praised the model, noting that Xiaomi sells 10,000 to 20,000 units a month and that orders are backlogged for 6 months.

Ford CEO, who described Xiaomi as an “industry juggernaut”, previously told a board member that China’s auto industry was an “existential threat.”

Ford Motor President and CEO Jim Farley has admitted he has been driving the Xiaomi Speed Ultra 7 for the past six months and is reluctant to part with the Chinese tech giant’s first-ever electric SUV.

“I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi,” Farley said in a conversation with Robert Llewellyn on The Fully Charged Podcast aired on Monday.

“We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up.”

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Although, Farley didn’t specify which version he was driving, the SU7 has a base price of 215,900 yuan (or about $30,000) and currently available only in China in three versions : SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max.

“It’s fantastic. They sell 10,000, 20,000 a month. They’re sold out for six months,” Farley said of Xiaomi’s success with the SU7 earlier in the interview, noting that orders are backlogged for six months.

After visiting China in May 2024, Farley told a Ford board member that China’s auto industry — which continue to dominate the global (Electric Vehicles) EV market — was an “existential threat”.

In early 2023, Farley and his chief financial officer, John Lawler, also tested out an electric SUV made by the state-owned automaker Changan Automobile during their trip to China.

“Jim, this is nothing like before,”… “These guys are ahead of us,” Lawler told Farley, according to The Wall Street Journal, which said the pair was impressed by the quality of the Chinese-made EVs.

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