Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun will host a year-end livestream to dismantle the YU7

On December 30, Xiaomi founder, chairman and CEO Lei Jun announced on social media that he will host a year-end livestream at 8 p.m. on December 31, inviting engineers to dismantle the Xiaomi YU7 on site, responding to public interest in teardowns. 

Xiaomi founder, chairman and Ceo Lei Jun

In his preview, Lei said he had previously watched teardown videos of the SU7 and noted that many netizens had suggested “taking apart the YU7.” Since the launch of the Xiaomi SU7, multiple professional automotive media outlets have released teardown videos of the model. 

In October, U.S. EV maker Rivian conducted a systematic teardown of the SU7. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe described the vehicle as “a very well-executed, highly vertically integrated technology platform,” adding that if he lived in China, the SU7 would be on his shopping list. 

Rivian Ceo RJ Scaringe

He also noted, however, that the teardown itself did not bring major surprises, stating that “there’s nothing we learned from the teardown.” Scaringe attributed the SU7’s cost advantages more to favorable macro conditions than to any single breakthrough technology. 

On Nov. 5, Chinese automotive media outlet Yiche released a teardown video of the YU7, which Lei later reposted and recommended, saying it allowed viewers to “fully understand Xiaomi’s philosophy of building cars.” 

The teardown showed that the YU7’s front crash beam coverage reaches 74.4%, using a rare cast-aluminum triangular beam structure, along with an embedded roll cage rated at 2,200 MPa in strength. 

Four anti-collision cross beams are arranged at the bottom of the battery pack, two of which use 1,500 MPa high-strength materials. Together with large rear floor castings, they help disperse impact energy, giving the body a torsional rigidity of 47,610 N·m/deg. 

Toward the end of the teardown, media reviewers also noted the unusually large cabin air filter used in the YU7, a feature rarely seen in the industry. Xiaomi thus joins Tesla as one of the few brands to invest heavily in this detail. The teardown team’s conclusion was straightforward: the design and materials were generous and well-considered. 

Notably, this is not Lei Jun’s first New Year livestream. On Dec. 31 last year, he hosted a 4.5-hour livestream from Xiaomi’s auto factory, reviewing the business and outlining future plans.