The Xiaomi YU7 offers a longer driving range than the Tesla Model Y, more advanced tech, and it’s cheaper. With wait times for the Chinese EV extending over a year, the company’s CEO told buyers to check out rivals if they need a car quickly.
The Chinese EV buyers are waiting over a year for
After unveiling the YU7 in June, the electric SUV secured about 240,000 orders within 18 hours. According to the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (via Bloomberg), that’s nearly the 265,400 vehicles Tesla sold in China in the first half of the year.
Xiaomi’s first electric vehicle, the SU7, has already had a major impact on Tesla Model 3 sales in China. Now, the YU7 is rolling out, and it’s aimed squarely at the Model Y.
Similar to when Tesla launched the Model 3 in China, buyers are waiting over a year in some cases for their new vehicle. Some early Model 3 customers waited three years in 2016.
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Xiaomi, often referred to as the “Apple of China,” has made an impressive debut in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Xiaomi YU7 models (Source: Xiaomi Auto)
The entry-level “Standard” YU7 starts at 253,500 yuan ($35,300) and offers a driving range of 835 km (519 miles). In comparison, the base Tesla Model Y RWD starts at 263,500 yuan ($36,700) with a CLTC range of 593 km (368 miles).
Xiaomi’s electric SUV is also based on an 800V architecture, enabling it to recharge to 80% in just 13 minutes. The Model Y, based on a 400V architecture, recharges from 20% to 80% in 18 minutes.
Xiaomi YU7 (Source: Xiaomi Motor)
Long driving range, fast charging, and smart tech
Tailored for Chinese buyers, the YU7 is loaded with advanced tech and smart features, including a 16.1″ central infotainment and a 56″ head-up display (HUD). With the tech giant’s integration services included, drivers can connect over 1,000 Xiaomi smart home devices.
With long-range capabilities, fast charging, and a premium, feature-rich interior, the YU7 is winning over EV buyers in China.
So much so that Xiaomi can’t keep up with demand. According to the Xiaomi app, the wait time for the YU7 is at least 56 to 59 weeks. The long wait times prompted the company’s CEO, Lei Jun, to recommend rivals if they need the vehicle immediately.
“If you need to buy a car quickly, other China-produced new energy vehicles are pretty good,” Lei said in a recent social media post. He recommended the XPeng G7, Li Auto i8, and even the Tesla Model Y.
(Source: Xiaomi Motor)
The wait times have led to a surge of customer complaints on Chinese platforms. On 12365auto.com, the YU7 was among the top 20 models with 95 complaints, primarily due to long wait times.
According to the Bloomberg report, it hasn’t deterred all buyers. A YU7 buyer from Beijing, who placed his order a day after it launched, initially had a wait time of 26 to 29 weeks on the app. After a month, it was still 24 to 27 weeks.
Although he considered the Tesla Model Y, he didn’t like the look of the new headlight design. “Xiaomi and Tesla each have their advantages, and Tesla’s very capable after being around for so many years,” he added, “But for me personally, I prefer something that looks good.”
Electrek’s Take
Even after ramping production of the refreshed Model Y and offering record discounts across its lineup, Tesla’s deliveries in China fell 11.7% year-over-year in the second quarter to just 128,803.
With Xiaomi ramping up YU7 output, is Tesla in trouble? And it’s not just Xiaomi. Several Chinese EV makers are launching more advanced, longer-range, and more affordable models.
After launching its new flagship SUV under its Onvo sub-brand, NIO’s CEO William Li claimed the L90 was among the top three best-selling large SUVs in China. NIO, Xpeng, Li Auto, and many more are fighting for market share with BYD, which has been dominating the market with low-priced models. BYD is expanding into new segments with luxury SUVs, electric supercars, and super sedans rolling out.
Can Tesla keep up? It might be tough with cheaper, more advanced options now available.
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Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
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