Former Tesla China general manager Kong Yanshuang has joined Xiaomi EV, while another veteran with Giga Shanghai management experience is also set to join.
Xiaomi is bringing in Tesla veterans to bolster retail and channel management amid slowing delivery growth.
(A Xiaomi SU7 on display at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)
Kong Yanshuang, former general manager of Tesla China, has joined Xiaomi to oversee automotive sales, signaling a shift for the Beijing-based tech company from a product-driven approach to the refined management of its sales system.
Kong joined Xiaomi in early March and will replace former auto sales head Li Xiaorui to lead the adjustment and optimization of Xiaomi EV’s overall sales and channel system, local media Jiemian reported Wednesday.
Xiaomi hasn’t publicly commented on the appointment, but the personnel change comes as the company’s sales growth slows, and is viewed as a targeted organizational upgrade, the report noted.
Kong served as a core executive for Tesla China for an extended period, responsible for regional sales system construction and brand promotion.
Her resume covers Tesla’s expansion phase across China’s tier-one cities and lower-tier markets, and she participated in the EV maker’s production ramp-up and model introduction cadence in the country — experience considered highly compatible with Xiaomi’s current development stage.
Meanwhile, another employee with a Tesla background, known as “Eason,” has also joined Xiaomi, entering the advisory department — a core unit directly serving the CEO’s strategic decision-making, according to Jiemian.
It is rare for a new employee to enter the advisory department directly, which usually indicates a high strategic weighting within the organization and reflects Xiaomi’s accelerating efforts to patch its sales shortcomings, the report said, citing a person familiar with the company.
Xiaomi’s retail system has been modeled on Tesla’s since its inception, and a significant proportion of its current regional heads are from Tesla, the report noted.
Over the past two years, Xiaomi has placed more emphasis on product and brand building while neglecting the capabilities of its sales staff, leading to high turnover among some highly paid sales recruits, the report cited a top dealer as saying.
As the pace of orders shifts from explosive growth to a steadier, normalized sales phase, market demands on the sales team are transitioning from customer acquisition to refined operational capabilities.
Separately, another local media outlet Lanjinger said that Song Gang, former vice president of production at Giga Shanghai and a core figure who led the construction and production ramp-up of Tesla’s Shanghai plant, will also join Xiaomi EV,
Song will likely serve as the factory head at Xiaomi EV, partnering with current plant manager Ji Guowei, according to Lanjinger.
Xiaomi EV disclosed earlier today that its March deliveries exceeded 20,000 units but implied they remained below the 30,000 mark, partly affected by the transition to the revamped SU7.
The new-generation SU7 was launched on March 19 and began deliveries a few days later. Cumulative deliveries have now surpassed 7,000 units, showing the product retains strong market appeal.
The company previously set a full-year delivery target of 550,000 units for 2026, meaning it needs to improve its sales conversion efficiency in the coming quarters.
Xiaomi’s EV and AI segment posted its first annual operating profit of 900 million yuan in 2025.
