Lei Jun says Xiaomi will livestream SU7 Beijing–Shanghai endurance test despite fears of smear articles

What happened

It has been reported that Lei Jun (雷军), founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi (小米), announced a full livestream of the new Xiaomi SU7’s endurance run from Beijing to Shanghai. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 06:30 on April 17 and — reportedly — will run for roughly fifteen hours, with Lei Jun taking part throughout the stream. Xiaomi Auto vice‑president Li Xiaoshuang (李肖爽) has said Lei likely will not drive the entire distance himself and that company staff will rotate driving duties for safety.

The controversy

Some netizens have expressed concern that the live test will attract a wave of “black稿” — coordinated negative or smear coverage — after the broadcast. Lei’s response was blunt: “What do we do? We can’t stay silent because there are negative articles.” The comment underlines a defensive posture many Chinese tech firms adopt when facing intense online scrutiny: show the product live and let viewers judge for themselves.

Why it matters

For Western readers: Xiaomi is better known as a smartphone maker, but it has been aggressively expanding into electric vehicles through Xiaomi Auto (小米汽车). Real‑world, long‑distance endurance tests have become a public relations tool in China to counter mounting skepticism about range claims, reliability and safety. It has been reported that Xiaomi’s decision to livestream is as much about building consumer trust at home as it is about pre‑empting critics.

Broader context

Chinese EV makers operate in a crowded domestic market and face heightened international scrutiny amid trade tensions and tighter export controls on advanced technologies. Transparency stunts like multi‑hour livestreams can help blunt negative narratives — but do they work? Xiaomi’s gamble is to invite the public in. The question remains: will openness inoculate the company against smear campaigns, or will it simply amplify them?