Lei Jun says Xiaomi (小米) only publishes “locked order” figures after industry doubted 200,000 YU7 pre-orders in three minutes

What happened at the launch

At Xiaomi Group's (小米集团) recent YU7 GT launch, it has been reported that chairman and CEO Lei Jun (雷军) defended the company’s decision to stop releasing raw pre-order numbers and instead publish only “locked order” (锁单) figures — orders with non‑refundable commitments. Lei said that last year the YU7 reportedly received more than 200,000 large‑deposit pre‑orders within three minutes, but “the industry didn’t believe it” and questioned the data, so Xiaomi switched to publishing only locked orders because “these cannot be cancelled.”

Lei made the remarks during a media session also attended by Xiaomi executives Hu Zhengnan (胡峥楠), Song Gang (宋钢) and chief test driver Ren Zhoucan (任周灿), according to reports relayed by Sina Tech and IT之家. Why keep only locked orders? Because, Lei implied, locked orders are harder to contest.

Delivery numbers and strategic posture

Xiaomi’s public delivery metrics back up continued traction for the YU7. It has been reported that, as of April 30, the YU7 has been on sale for ten months and cumulative deliveries reached 232,000 units; January 2026 alone saw 37,869 units, making it the monthly sales champion. Lei also said the company does not want to get drawn into month‑to‑month comparisons — “carmaking is a ten‑year endeavor,” he said — signaling a long‑game strategy rather than short‑term sales point scoring.

Broader context

The shift toward publishing locked orders reflects a wider credibility challenge in China’s crowded EV market, where rapid launches, flash sales and promotional mechanics can make headline numbers hard to verify. It also arrives against a backdrop of growing international scrutiny of Chinese tech firms’ metrics and transparency; investors and overseas partners increasingly demand verifiable, auditable figures. For Western readers new to China’s tech scene: skepticism over headline sales is common, and companies are adapting how they present data to defend claims and build trust.