Xiaomi car design leak: Why the company has fined a supplier

Last month, a Beijing-based casting technology company breached a confidentiality agreement with Xiaomi. The anonymous company has publicly revealed images of the front and rear bumpers of a supposed car developed by Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. According to a Reuters report, Xiaomi has now fined a supplier 1 million yuan (almost Rs 1.21 crore) for leaking early design drafts of the speculated car model.
A spokesperson for Xiaomi, on its official Weibo page, confirmed that the company has taken the matter “seriously”. However, Xiaomi did not disclose the name of the company. The spokesperson added that the company also asked the vendor to “strengthen its information security management and develop plans to upgrade its privacy measures. In addition, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun , also shared the note on his personal Weibo page.
How the supplier leaked Xiaomi’s car rumor
During the Chinese New Year, images showing mock-ups of the front and rear of Xiaomi’s planned electric vehicle (EV) have been circulating on social media.
A full view of what appeared to be a white compact sedan bearing the “MS11” license plate also made the rounds on the internet. These leaked images offered the very first glimpse of Xiaomi’s long-awaited automobile.

According to the report, the general manager of Xiaomi’s public relations department, Wang Hua, said the leaked designs were part of a bidding process and were not final renders.
Xiaomi’s very first electric car: what to expect
In March 2021, smartphone maker Xiaomi announced plans to enter the automotive business. The company planned to invest $10 billion in this project over ten years.
Since then, Xiaomi has pledged to open a production plant in Beijing that manufactures 300,000 vehicles a year. The company says it hopes to start mass-producing its cars by the first half of 2024.
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