The Chinese technology company Xiaomi has hired several former BMW executives because it progresses plans for the establishment of a European research and development center for its business with electric vehicles. The company, which is known worldwide as a smartphone and electronics manufacturer, launched its first electric vehicle – the SU7 sedan – last year in China and marked its official entry into the automotive sector. The car has quickly occurred on the domestic market and exceeds the Tesla model 3 in monthly sales since December according to the industry data.
F&E center in the heart of Munich
Since Xiaomi is preparing for international expansion, it builds a F&E footprint in Munich – a hub for automotive technology and home of companies such as BMW and Audi. According to LinkedIn updates, Rudolf Dittrich, a former manager at BMW with 15 years of experience, changed to Xiaomi in 2024 to lead his European research center. Dittrich previously held leadership roles in digital vehicle technology and product integration with the BMW department and later in corporate development.
It is under at least five new settings with BMW backgrounds that have joined the Xiaomi automotive department in Europe. We met Dittrich when he was General Manager of BMW Motorsport Development. The company has also published job offers for senior roles in design, external styling and vehicle dynamics, all of which are based in the Munich region.
In an explanation ReutersXiaomi confirmed that his European EV research center is currently “in the planning process”, but refused to obtain further details on the location, timeline or size of the investment.
Expansion beyond China
At the beginning of this week, Xiaomi President Lu Femhing said that the company intended to start international vehicle sales by 2027, although no specific target markets were named. The expansion comes when Xiaomi wants to reproduce its success in consumer electronics within the competitive EV room.
Xiaomi is the youngest in a growing list of Chinese car manufacturers and EV startups to set up in Germany in Germany, whereby NIO, BYD and XPENG have been setting up all engineering or design facilities in the country in recent years. Many have selected Munich due to its strong automotive supplier network and the proximity to Legacy car manufacturers.
German car manufacturers, especially BMW, have switched to Chinese companies in recent years, a number of their designers and engineers – some later returned with broader international experience. [Source: Reuters / Image by Xiaomi Media]
