Mar 21, 2025
Xiaomi hires BMW executives for its electric vehicle research center in Europe.
Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone giant, has recruited at least five high-ranking officials from various automakers, including BMW, based on LinkedIn updates, as it moves forward with its initiative to establish an electric vehicle R&D center in Europe.
The third-largest smartphone manufacturer globally started producing electric vehicles (EVs) last year, debuting with the SU7 sedan after spending most of its 15 years selling phones, home appliances, and smart devices.
It has quickly emerged as a major challenger in the Chinese automotive market, surpassing the sales of the Tesla Model 3 since December. This week, company president Lu Weibing announced that sales of their cars internationally would commence in 2027.
Rudolf Dittrich, a veteran of BMW with 15 years of experience, was recruited last year to oversee the upcoming research center, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Other recent additions to the team include Dusan Sarac, a former BMW manager who noted on his LinkedIn profile that he joined the European research center this month.
Jannis Hellwig has also transitioned to Xiaomi from BMW, where he will take on the role of a senior engineer focusing on performance development and integration.
Representatives from BMW have not yet responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
The R&D center in Europe is set to be situated in Munich. Xiaomi is actively looking to fill several additional roles based in Munich, Germany, such as senior automotive designer, senior automotive exterior designer, and vehicle dynamics engineers, as indicated on LinkedIn's job listings.
On Friday, the company informed Reuters that its EV research and development center in Europe is currently in the planning stages.
However, it did not provide specifics regarding the center's exact location, its expected opening date, or the extent of Xiaomi's investment.
President Lu did not go into detail about the markets they intend to target when launching sales outside of China.
The third-largest smartphone manufacturer globally started producing electric vehicles (EVs) last year, debuting with the SU7 sedan after spending most of its 15 years selling phones, home appliances, and smart devices.
It has quickly emerged as a major challenger in the Chinese automotive market, surpassing the sales of the Tesla Model 3 since December. This week, company president Lu Weibing announced that sales of their cars internationally would commence in 2027.
Rudolf Dittrich, a veteran of BMW with 15 years of experience, was recruited last year to oversee the upcoming research center, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Other recent additions to the team include Dusan Sarac, a former BMW manager who noted on his LinkedIn profile that he joined the European research center this month.
Jannis Hellwig has also transitioned to Xiaomi from BMW, where he will take on the role of a senior engineer focusing on performance development and integration.
Representatives from BMW have not yet responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
The R&D center in Europe is set to be situated in Munich. Xiaomi is actively looking to fill several additional roles based in Munich, Germany, such as senior automotive designer, senior automotive exterior designer, and vehicle dynamics engineers, as indicated on LinkedIn's job listings.
On Friday, the company informed Reuters that its EV research and development center in Europe is currently in the planning stages.
However, it did not provide specifics regarding the center's exact location, its expected opening date, or the extent of Xiaomi's investment.
President Lu did not go into detail about the markets they intend to target when launching sales outside of China.