Last month, a Beijing-based moulding technology company violated a confidentiality agreement made with Xiaomi. The unnamed company publicly revealed images of a rumoured car’s front and rear bumpers which is being developed by the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. According to a report by Reuters, Xiaomi has now imposed a 1 million yuan (nearly Rs 1.21 crore) penalty on a supplier for leaking early design drafts of the speculated car model.
A Xiaomi spokesperson, on its official Weibo page, has confirmed that the company has dealt with the matter “seriously”. However, Xiaomi hasn’t disclosed the name of the company. The spokesperson added that the company has also instructed the supplier to “strengthen its information security management and develop plans to upgrade its confidentiality measures.” Moreover, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also circulated the note on his personal Weibo page.
How the supplier leaked Xiaomi’s rumoured car
During the Chinese New Year, images showing mock-ups of the front and rear of Xiaomi’s anticipated electric vehicle (EV) were spread across social media.
A full view of what seemed to be a white compact sedan that had a license plate reading “MS11” also made rounds on the internet. These leaked images offered the first-ever glimpse of Xiaomi’s long-awaited automobile.

As per the report, the general manager of Xiaomi’s public relations department, Wang Hua, has said that the leaked designs were a part of a bidding process and were not final renderings.
Xiaomi’s first-ever electric car: What to expect
In March 2021, smartphone maker Xiaomi announced its plans to enter the automotive sector. The company planned to invest $10 billion in this project over ten years.
Since then, Xiaomi has been committed to opening a production plant in Beijing that manufacture 300,000 vehicles per year. The company claims that it is hoping to start mass-producing its cars by the first half of 2024.
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