Xiaomi targets European premium car market while unveiling record‑capacity smartphones

Chinese technology firm Xiaomi announced a strategic push into the European premium automobile segment. The company aims to rank among the top five premium car brands in Europe by 2030, beginning with a launch in Germany next year. To support the effort, Xiaomi has hired engineers and designers formerly with BMW, Porsche and Tesla. Founder Lei Jun said at the Beijing auto show, “I believe the Chinese automotive industry must set higher goals to create world‑class vehicles.”

In parallel, Xiaomi unveiled its new Redmi Note 17 and Note 17 Pro smartphones in China, featuring unusually large 8000 mAh and 9000 mAh batteries – the highest capacities recorded for a mobile phone. Both models include 120 Hz OLED displays, IP69 water‑dust protection and run Android 16 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS. The company also noted that rival OnePlus announced its withdrawal from the European and North American markets.

These announcements illustrate Xiaomi’s broadened focus beyond smartphones into high‑end automotive products and its emphasis on battery endurance as a competitive differentiator.